PRIME MINISTER

Committee on Standards in Public Life

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to announce new appointments to the Committee on Standards in Public Life; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I have appointed two new members to the Committee.
	The right hon. Member for North-West Norfolk (Mrs. Shephard) DL MP takes up appointment as the Conservative Party nominee in succession to the right hon. Lord MacGregor of Pulham Market OBE. Baroness Maddock takes up appointment as the Liberal Democrat Party nominee in succession to Lord Goodhart QC. Both appointments are for three years in the first instance.
	The right hon. Lord MacGregor of Pulham Market and Lord Goodhart are both stepping down from the Committee on completion of their second terms of appointment. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them both for the valuable work they have undertaken on the Committee over the last six years, and the significant contribution they have made to improving standards in public life.

Departmental Expenditure (Official Residences)

Howard Flight: To ask the Prime Minister how much was spent on (a) maintenance, (b) renovation, (c) council tax and (d) running costs of residential properties used by the Prime Minister and officials in each year since 1997.

Tony Blair: For running costs and the cost of maintenance, renovation and council tax of residential properties in Downing street, I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 22 July 2002, Official Report, column 804W, and on 28 February 2002, Official Report, columns 1443–44W.
	Expenditure on routine maintenance work to the flat above No. 11 Downing street for 2001–02 was £32,949.
	Final figures for 2002–03 are not yet available.
	For Chequers, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for north Devon (Mr. Harvey) on 13 February 2003, Official Report, column 952W.
	The annual grant for maintenance and to cover civilian staff employed at Chequers for 2002–03 was £499,817.
	The Chequers Trust is responsible for paying the council tax on all Chequers estate property.

Northern Ireland

Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  with whom he has communicated to try to find a way in which he can disclose certain information given to him and the Prime Minister of the Irish Republic by General de Chastelain; and what the responses have been;
	(2)  pursuant to his statement of 22 October 2003, Official Report, column 634, on Northern Ireland, when he expects to be able to reveal the information given to him and the Prime Minister of the Irish Republic by General de Chastelain to which he referred; and what the evidential basis was for his statement that on the basis of what he and the Prime Minister of the Irish Republic know that people would be satisfied if they knew the full details;
	(3)  whether during his conversation with the Prime Minister of the Irish Republic and General de Chastelain he obtained from the latter facts which were not in the General's press conferences and statement.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Sevenoaks (Mr. Fallon) at Prime Minister's Questions on 29 October 2003, Official Report, column 300.

TRANSPORT

Bus Lanes

Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will make regulations to allow cameras to be used to enforce bus lanes outside London; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: Section 144 of the Transport Act 2000 enables regulations to be made so that local authorities outside London can enforce bus lanes using cameras to detect vehicles being driven in them illegally. The work on the preparation of the regulations including resolving relevant legal points has taken longer than expected but the Department for Transport and the Department for Constitutional Affairs hope to be able to make the relevant regulations later this year.

MOT Testers

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to increase the number of MOT testers; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: None—there is no evidence to suggest that there is a shortage of qualified MOT testers. Currently there are around 19,500 MOT testing stations with 50,000 testers. There is no restriction on the number of garages that can apply to become MOT testing stations and, once designated, garages can employ as many MOT testers as they wish.

Railways

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects trains from Liverpool to London to travel at speeds of 125 mph.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 4 November 2003
	It is expected that the modernisation of the West Coast Main Line will enable train services, including those from London to Liverpool, to travel at speeds of up to 125 mph from the autumn of 2004.

Road Safety

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the safety implications for road users of speed cameras.

David Jamieson: On 11 February 2003 the Department published an independently produced evaluation report of the two-year trial of the safety camera cost recovery system. This showed a 35 per cent. reduction in those killed or seriously injured at camera sites, equating to around 280 people and a 4 per cent. reduction in those killed or seriously injured across the pilot areas, equating to around 530 people.

Road Safety

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce further regulations on the fitness of individuals to drive.

David Jamieson: We have an on-going research programme into fitness to drive, the results of which will help inform the Secretary of State's Honorary Medical Advisory Panels in relation to their advice on the driver licensing standards.

Road Safety

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he is introducing to reduce the numbers of children under the age of 16 who are killed or receive a serious head injury as a result of a cycling accident.

David Jamieson: We have produced a large body of material on cycle safety aimed at younger children promoting the use of cycle helmets as well as other cycle safety messages such as conspicuity and training. We have also developed a Cycle Sense campaign aimed at teenagers that was launched on 21 May this year. The campaign encourages teenagers to wear cycle helmets and consists of posters and a new cycle sense website.

Traffic Management Bill

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will comply with the Cabinet Office's guidance on consultation when consulting on the detailed regulations which accompany the Traffic Management Bill.

Tony McNulty: We will comply with Cabinet Office guidance when consulting on any such regulations.

Traffic Management Bill

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to consult the utilities companies on the detailed regulations that will accompany the Traffic Management Bill.

Tony McNulty: We will be consulting widely not only with utility companies, but also with local authorities and other relevant bodies.

UK Airport Security

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers exist to authorise security staff at United Kingdom airports to examine passengers' luggage, by force if necessary, without the knowledge or consent of the passenger; and how many times they have been exercised in the past 12 months.

Tony McNulty: Aerodrome managers and aircraft operators are directed through secondary legislation, made under the Aviation Security Act 1982, to examine passenger baggage to a standard sufficient reasonably to ensure that no prohibited articles are taken into a restricted zone or onto an aircraft. Where passengers refuse to permit such an examination, the baggage is not allowed to pass beyond the point of search. If the baggage is not accompanied by its owner, and x-ray screening of a bag has not resolved all doubts, the aircraft operator is permitted by direction to search the bag by hand. Searching unaccompanied hold baggage by hand is therefore rarely necessary.

Underground (Vandalism)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many prosecutions there have been by British Transport Police for acts of vandalism on (a) on tube trains, (b) in tube stations and (c) on tube lines in each of the last 10 years.

Tony McNulty: Vandalism is not classified as a crime group but the offence of criminal damage is the closest equivalent. Prosecutions are a matter for the Crown Prosecution Service. However, the BTP have provided the information in Table 1 regarding the number of people arrested, summonsed or charged with criminal damage in the past six years which is the maximum period for which reliable data are available. Table 2 shows the total number of criminal damage offences reported and cleared for the last 10 years. Table 3 gives a breakdown for criminal damage offences reported and cleared, split between tube stations, tube lines and tube trains for the last four years, the maximum period for which reliable data are available.
	
		Table 1
		
			 Time period(1 October–30 September) Number of persons Arrested/Charged/Summonsed for criminal damage offences 
		
		
			 1997–98 92 
			 1998–99 75 
			 1999–2000 82 
			 2000–01 98 
			 2001–02 64 
			 2002–03 152 
		
	
	
		Table 2
		
			 Criminal Damage Offences(1 April–31 March) Reported Cleared 
		
		
			 2002–03 925 119 
			 2001–02 725 139 
			 2000–01 693 136 
			 1999–2000 697 135 
			 1998–99 715 173 
			 1997–98 836 336 
			 1996–97 780 187 
			 1995–96 978 191 
			 1994–95 1,042 154 
			 1993–94 1,391 122 
		
	
	
		Table 3
		
			 Criminal Damage Offences(1 April–31 March) 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Offences at tube stations: 376 340 366 361 
			 Cleared: 85 96 92 70 
			 Offences on tube lines: 46 26 65 125 
			 Cleared: 10 20 14 8 
			 Offences on tube trains: 295 292 302 426 
			 Cleared: 34 31 32 41 
			 Total Offences: 717 658 733 912 
			 Cleared: 129 147 138 119 
		
	
	Data in Table 3 differ slightly from data in Table 2 as it has been extracted on crime committed date as opposed to approved date. A crime report has an approved date which is the date the crime report has been evaluated and is often different to the date committed. Therefore crime figures will differ slightly depending on which date is used.

CABINET OFFICE

Civil Service Secondments(Science and Technology)

Brian Iddon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what action has been taken to bring more people from science and technology backgrounds into the Civil Service on secondments as recommended by the Council for Science and Technology in its review in 1999 of Science and Technology Across Government.

Douglas Alexander: The Government are committed to developing a modern, flexible and outward focused Civil Service that works in partnership with all sectors of society. A key tool in meeting that commitment is the Interchange initiative, which promotes and encourages the exchange of people and good practice between the Civil Service and other organisations. Most organisations from anywhere in the country can take part and all sectors of the economy are encouraged to do so.
	Individual Departments are directly responsible for the staff they bring in to help them deliver their objectives, including secondees. Information on secondments into the Civil Service is recorded separately by Departments. The Cabinet office holds aggregate data, though not specifically on secondees from a science and technology background.
	Since financial year 1998–99, there have been, on average, around 4,000 instances of interchange taking place each year of which about half are inward to the Civil Service.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture and Horticulture Holdings

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many agriculture and horticulture holdings in the United Kingdom there were which were mainly (a) beef, (b) dairy, (c) sheep, (d) pigs, (e) poultry meat, (f) poultry egg, (g) fruit and vegetables, (h) flowers and other non edible crops, (i) energy crops, (j) arable, (k) mixed and (l) other in each of the last 10 years for which records are available.

Ben Bradshaw: Agricultural and horticultural holdings are classified annually from the June agricultural and horticultural census into 27 different types.
	For the last 10 years the figures are:
	
		Main farm type—1993 to 2002: June agricultural census—England
		
			 Main farm types 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 
		
		
			 Cereals 20,443 20,212 19,960 20,379 21,085 
			 General cropping 13,318 13,031 12,909 12,828 11,696 
			 Specialist fruit 1,589 1,578 1,408 1,435 1,492 
			 Specialist glass 3,472 3,346 3,034 2,808 2,743 
			 Other horticulture 3,593 3,307 2,990 2,858 3,227 
			 Specialist pigs 2,441 2,342 2,137 2,080 2,236 
			 Specialist poultry 2,903 2,801 2,445 2,557 2,959 
			 Mixed pigs and poultry 129 121 111 110 152 
			 Dairy—LFA 3,797 3,673 3,421 3,213 2,996 
			 Dairy—lowland 16,987 16,906 16,211 15,691 15,011 
			 Specialist sheep—SDA 2,641 2,524 2,390 2,320 2,318 
			 Specialist beef—SDA 1,805 1,725 1,737 1,703 1,618 
			 Mixed cattle and sheep—SDA 3,537 3,395 3,257 3,003 2,843 
			 Cattle and sheep—DA 3,365 3,266 3,129 2,941 2,866 
			 Cattle and sheep—Lowland 31,880 32,589 31,024 31,173 30,878 
			 Cropping and dairy 1,714 1,615 1,604 1,578 1,634 
			 Cropping cattle and sheep 6,155 6,221 6,256 6,128 5,858 
			 Cropping pig and poultry 1,191 1,161 1,109 1,106 1,118 
			   
			 Cropping and mixed livestock 633 666 658 572 602 
			 Mixed livestock 2,009 1,940 1,799 1,896 2,121 
			 Specialist mushrooms 173 183 167 155 146 
			 Specialist hardy nursery stock 1,094 1,077 1,126 1,188 1,104 
			 Specialist set-aside 1,309 1,238 1,104 1,044 937 
			 Specialist grass and forage 17,563 18,260 16,506 16,638 16,897 
			 Specialist goats 520 512 355 359 337 
			 Specialist horses 8,301 8,879 8,590 9,149 9,166 
			 Non-classifiable—fallow 401 406 296 283 285 
			 Non-classifiable—other 459 452 379 443 452 
			   
			 All types 153,422 153,426 146,112 145,638 144,777 
		
	
	
		
			 Main farm types 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Cereals 21,473 20,905 20,996 21,340 21,258 
			 General cropping 11,239 11,119 9,861 9,991 9,200 
			 Specialist fruit 1,645 1,554 2,647 2,675 2,553 
			 Specialist glass 2,826 2,771 2,741 2,671 2,604 
			 Other horticulture 3,026 3,019 3,260 3,143 3,368 
			 Specialist pigs 2,171 1,920 1,893 1,981 2,160 
			 Specialist poultry 3,179 3,437 4,100 4,680 4,685 
			 Mixed pigs and poultry 113 104 129 130 146 
			 Dairy—LFA 3,014 2,895 2,605 2,584 2,662 
			 Dairy—lowland 14,000 13,418 12,614 11,522 11,680 
			 Specialist sheep—SDA 2,665 2,845 2,875 2,996 3,388 
			 Specialist beef—SDA 1,901 1,885 1,652 1,850 1,943 
			 Mixed cattle and sheep—SDA 3,154 3,037 2,913 2,915 3,043 
			 Cattle and sheep—DA 2,835 2,880 2,657 2,944 3,389 
			 Cattle and sheep—Lowland 29,893 31,269 32,816 31,306 33,778 
			 Cropping and dairy 1,679 1,565 1,401 1,198 1,181 
			 Cropping cattle and sheep 5,772 5,680 5,573 5,397 5,179 
			 Cropping pig and poultry 1,173 1,046 959 930 809 
			   
			 Cropping and mixed livestock 611 647 998 1,086 1,048 
			 Mixed livestock 2,044 1,814 1,984 2,045 2,067 
			 Specialist mushrooms 140 152 141 94 40 
			 Specialist hardy nursery stock 883 848 995 999 995 
			 Specialist set-aside 859 988 1,035 1,340 1,341 
			 Specialist grass and forage 18,256 21,175 24,298 25,781 23,476 
			 Specialist goats 346 408 809 1,127 1,690 
			 Specialist horses 9,420 9,026 14,326 14,967 16,845 
			 Non-classifiable—fallow 302 305 541 548 580 
			 Non-classifiable—other 474 508 11,036 19,694 26,763 
			   
			 All types 145,093 147,220 167,855 177,934 187,871 
		
	
	Abbreviations:
	LFA—Less Favoured Area
	SDA—Severely Disadvantaged Area
	DA—Disadvantaged Area
	Notes:
	1. 1993 to 1999 figures refer to main holdings only.
	2. 2000 onwards—main and minor holdings.

Aquaculture Research

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many aquaculture research projects were commissioned by her Department from the Ardtoe Marine Farming Unit in each year since 1997; and what the (a) subject and (b) cost of each project was.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 3 November 2003
	Aquaculture research projects commissioned by Defra from the Sea Fish Industry Authority's Marine Farming Unit at Ardtoe since 1997 are as follows:
	FC0107—environmental control of halibut broodstock and rearing procedures for feeding larvae; 1993–98; total cost £515,400;
	FC0905—halibut egg and early larval rearing; 1998; total cost £20,000;
	FC1011—development strategy for the UK shellfish cultivation industry; 2000–01; total cost £45,000; and
	FC1140—economic evaluation to assess the output potential of the UK shellfish cultivation industry; 2000; £45,000.
	Details of Defra research projects may be viewed at the following website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/research/project.

Chemical Industry

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the REACH proposals for regulation of the chemical industry.

Alun Michael: The Government are committed to the new EU Chemicals Strategy which aims to improve protection for human health and the environment. The new EU Chemicals Strategy is trying to address the fact that thousands of chemicals have been used for many years without adequate information about their hazardous properties or what risks are involved in their short-term and long-term use. In doing so, the proposal for new chemicals legislation, which was adopted by the European Commission on 29 October 2003, should create greater transparency and help identify chemicals of concern.
	In the forthcoming negotiations the UK has three overarching objectives:
	To create a fast, efficient and workable process of testing, screening and assessing substances of concern, starting with the most harmful, because of their impact on human health or the environment;
	To keep animal testing to the minimum necessary to protect human health and the environment; and
	To maintain or enhance the competitiveness of the chemical industry and downstream users.
	We are currently considering the Commission proposal to assess how far it meets these objectives. The Government will carry out a UK consultation early in the new year which will be accompanied by a regulatory impact assessment, and provide an opportunity for all interested stakeholders to express their views.

Dairy Farming

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) farmers, (b) partners, (c) directors and (d) spouses were engaged in dairy farming in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: Data for the total number farmers, partners, directors and spouses combined are collected annually from the June agricultural and horticultural census as a total. Figures are not available for each item.
	For the last five years the figures are:
	
		Farmers, directors, partners and spouses on holdings with a dairy herd June agricultural census—England
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1998 47,591 
			 1999 45,151 
			 2000 43,150 
			 2001 40,702 
			 2002 40,906 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Dairy Herd—holdings with Dairy cows producing milk.
	2. 1999 and 1998 figures refer to main holdings only.
	3. 2000 onwards—main and minor holdings.

Dairy Farming

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dairy farmers have left the industry in the last 10 years for which records are available.

Ben Bradshaw: Data on the number of farmers leaving the dairy industry are not collected by Defra. From the June Agricultural and Horticultural Census, we can provide the numbers of farmers, partners, directors and spouses. From these figures it will be possible to determine the net difference year on year.
	For the last 10 years the figures are:
	
		Farmers, directors, spouses and partners on farms with a dairy herd June agricultural census—England
		
			  Farmers, directors, spouses, partners 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1993 50,402 
			 1994 49,592 
			 1995 47,515 
			 1996 46,150 
			 1997 48,066 
			 1998 47,591 
			 1999 45,151 
			 2000 43,150 
			 2001 40,702 
			 2002 40,906 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Dairy Herd—holdings with Dairy cows producing milk.
	2. 1993 to 1999 figures refer to main holdings only.
	3. 2000 onwards—main and minor holdings.

Date-based Export Scheme

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library papers submitted by her Department to the European Commission on (a) changes to the Date Based Export Scheme and (b) moderate risk status; and how many representations her Department has made to the Commission regarding these papers subsequently.

Ben Bradshaw: Copies of the papers submitted will be placed in the Library of the House.
	The Secretary of State has discussed these issues with Commissioner Byrne on a number of occasions, most recently on 22 September at the informal Agriculture Council at Taormina. Defra officials have also met Commission officials on a number of occasions, and are in regular contact with them.

Direct Production Payments

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the 100 farmers who received the largest direct production payments in the last year for which information is available; and how much each received.

Ben Bradshaw: We are unable to supply information on individual payments under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998 unless such details are allowed by any of the exemptions to the Act. If such exemptions can be identified, then further consideration can be given to the request.

Earth Summit

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the progress that has been made by her Department to meet the outcomes of the Earth Summit in Johannesburg.

Elliot Morley: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 1 September 2003, Official Report, column 845W, which noted that the Government would be presenting an overview of progress against commitments made at the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development. That progress report, which covers actions across Government, has now been published and is available at: http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/eac-wssd/progress.htm

GM Crops

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has commissioned into coexistence on a commercial scale between GM and non-GM crops that takes account of the interactions and relationships between seed contamination, volunteers, spillage and cross-pollination.

Elliot Morley: Defra has commissioned a number of studies relevant to co-existence to complement those undertaken by others. These include a report published in 2000 by the National Institute of Agricultural Botany on crop separation distances needed to achieve specified cross-pollination thresholds. Details of other studies including studies on cross-pollination between GM and conventional crops and between GM crops and wild relatives and studies on the persistence and weediness of GM crop volunteers are availlable through the Defra website a: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/research/index.htm The European Commission also published a major research study on this subject last year, available at: www.jrc.es/home/publications/publication.cfm?pub=1044 The body of literature was also recently reviewed by the GM Science Review Panel as part of the GM Dialogue, and their final report is available at: www.gmsciencedebate.org.uk
	The Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission has been analysing possible approaches to co-existence and is due to submit a report to the Government later this month. We will consider this issue further in the light of that report.

GM Crops

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the petition from residents within the Havering area opposing GM crops.

Elliot Morley: We have no record of receiving the specific petition to which the hon. Member refers, but the Government certainly recognise that people have concerns on this subject. We already have strict and transparent safety controls on GM crops, along with clear labelling rules to ensure consumer choice. The Government are now considering the outcome of the GM public debate that they have sponsored and will make a response to this in due course.

Livestock Industry

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions her Department has had with (a) industry representatives, (b) the Food Standards Agency and (c) others in respect of the regulatory framework which applies to (i) mobile slaughter operators and (ii) the livestock farmers who employ them.

Ben Bradshaw: The public health aspects of the slaughter of animals for human consumption are a matter for the Food Standards Agency. The Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995 (as amended) require that no person shall carry on the business of a slaughterhouse unless the premises are licensed under the Regulations. Furthermore the Regulations also require that no person shall sell fresh meat for human consumption unless it has been slaughtered in a licensed slaughterhouse. Consequently it is unlawful for a mobile licensed slaughterman to kill and dress an animal for human consumption outside of licensed premises. At a meeting in February this year, at which Defra officials were present, the Agency explained the regulatory framework to representatives of the National Farmers Union. Subsequently officials from both the Department and the Agency participated in a meeting arranged by the Union, at which representatives of the Union and former mobile slaughter operators were present, to discuss how the framework could apply to the licensing of mobile slaughterhouses.

Livestock Industry

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received from (a) industry representatives and (b) others in respect of regulations which apply to mobile slaughter operators.

Ben Bradshaw: The National Farmers Union, Members of Parliament and members of the public have been in contact with the Department about the regulatory framework that applies to the slaughter of animals for human consumption and in particular the private kill of animals on farm.

Pair Trawling (Bass)

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to introduce an outright ban on pair trawling for bass; and what assessment she has made of the use of separator grids to preserve dolphin wildlife in the United Kingdom.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 28 October 2003
	Defra-funded trials to reduce cetacean bycatch in the offshore bass fishery have demonstrated that separator grids are a viable means of minimising dolphin bycatch in this fishery. The very significantly reduced mortality rate overall in this trial compared with observations on boats over previous years is extremely encouraging. Two animals died in 82 hauls over a seven-week period beginning in March this year, a significant reduction in what is normally observed to be the case. In observations elsewhere in the fishery without the grid deployed, 28 dolphin casualties were recorded in 49 hauls.
	On the basis of these results, we will be moving forward from trialling the separator grid to deploying the gear in the fishery. We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the grid and adjust as necessary. If an effective reduction in small cetacean bycatch cannot be maintained through the use of the grid, I do not rule out other options such as closure of the offshore-bass fishery.

Scrapie

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received in the last six months about the eradication of genome groups under the scrapie plan; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra has regular contact with stakeholders to discuss a wide range of issues relating to the National Scrapie Plan. Among these are a bi-annual stakeholder forum and various ad hoc industry focus group meetings to discuss and assist in the development of proposals and initiatives to further improve and enhance the National Scrapie Plan.

Sheep Annual Premium

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of sheep annual premium payments were paid more than two months late in England in the last 24 months.

Ben Bradshaw: As detailed in the table, 0.15 per cent. of 2001 Sheep Annual Premium Scheme (SAPS) claims and 0.18 per cent. of 2002 claims were paid two months later than their respective scheme year payment deadlines.
	
		
			  Scheme year 
			  2001 2002 
		
		
			 Total claims received 30,363 27,083 
			  Claims paid two months later than the EU payment deadline(1) 
			 Number 46 49 
			 Percentage 0.15 0.18 
		
	
	(1) These relate claims under query.
	The payment window for SAPS 2003 opened on 16 October 2003. To date, 98 per cent. of claims have been paid.

Tenant Farmers (Rents)

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the implications for tenant farmers of rural development for rents under the revised Common Agricultural Policy.

Ben Bradshaw: The biggest implication for tenant farmers arises from the decoupling of support from production. This will mean that all farmers, including tenants, will have more flexibility in terms of what they produce. This is because the support they receive will no longer be dependent on the types of crop or livestock they farm. Taking the reforms as a whole, it is difficult to forecast the precise effects reform might have on rents. However, where tenants continue to farm and claim support, the requirement for land will continue to underpin the land rental market. Further work is planned in this area and we hope to make the results generally available in due course.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Regional Development Agencies

Win Griffiths: To ask the Minister for Women, what steps she is taking to help regional development agencies to encourage women to participate in the labour market.

Patricia Hewitt: The Regional Development Agencies have a remit to promote skills, enterprise and labour market participation in their regions. All of these, including the provision of child care, are relevant to women's participation in the labour market.

Equal Pay

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Minister for Women, if she will make a statement on progress with the equal pay audits in Government Departments.

Jacqui Smith: The Government have made a commitment for Civil Service departments and agencies to undertake equal pay reviews and prepare action plans. Action plans representing 99 per cent. of the Civil Service have now been received by the Cabinet Office. The Government will shortly be publishing a summary of the findings from pay review action plans.

Iraq

Michael Jabez Foster: To ask the Minister for Women, what action she is taking to ensure that Iraqi women are fully involved in all plans for the (a) reconstruction and (b) Government of Iraq.

John Smith: To ask the Minister for Women what steps she is taking to ensure that Iraqi women play a part in the leadership of Iraq.

Patricia Hewitt: Two weeks ago I met Dr. Raja Khuzaai, one of the two female members of the Iraqi Governing Council. In July I met the US Special Envoy, Amb. Bremer, in Baghdad. I impressed on him the importance of women's full involvement in the emerging political structures—this includes the Constitutional reform process.
	I have pledged my full support for the establishment of an Iraqi Women's Higher Council—a non-governmental advisory body on women's issues.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Engineering Investment

Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what recent discussions she has held with employers in the engineering sector regarding their plans for investment.

Patricia Hewitt: I have benefited from a number of opportunities, both in writing and in person, to discuss a wide range of issues with representatives of the engineering sector.

Employment Rights (Parents)

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what action she has taken to ensure that there is a high take-up of the new rights for parents of young children.

Jacqui Smith: The package of new laws implemented this April provides parents with more choice and more support about how they balance work and childcare in ways that benefit everyone: employers, employees and children. The Government have produced a wide package of support to promote take-up including guidance and case studies in booklets on the web. National adverts at the time of implementation and in October have ensured a high level of awareness. In addition, we have supported other bodies such as the Federation of Small Businesses and Fathers Direct, to produce their own material.

Research and Development

Joyce Quin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans she has to increase research and development expenditure in the regions.

Patricia Hewitt: All regions stand to benefit from the action taken by the Government to boost public R&D through the last three spending reviews and to encourage business R&D through the tax credits. However, Government research and development spending is largely organised on a national basis as it the best means of securing value for money and driving up excellence. But the Regional Development Agencies are in an excellent position to advise on knowledge transfer in the regions and are fully engaged in the formal role of the deployment of next round of the Higher Education Innovation Fund.

Demolition/Waste Removal Sector (Insurance)

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to ensure that all (a) demolition contractors and (b) waste removal companies have insurance cover.

Nigel Griffiths: Employers Liability is a statutory insurance. Enforcement for non-compliance is undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive. The Government have been actively working with stakeholders to reform and improve the existing enforcement arrangements.
	If the hon. Member has details of any company breaking this statutory requirement, he should forward the details to the HSE.

Bechtel

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the contracts for consultancy and other work carried out by Bechtel in each year since 1997, stating in each case (a) the nature of the work, (b) the value of the contract and (c) the duration of the contract; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 3 November 2003
	The Department has placed one direct contract with Bechtel since 1997. The work covers the provision of technical support and assistance to the Department's Liabilities Management Unit in carrying out its remit to prepare the ground for the creation of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. The Department paid Bechtel £8.044 million for its work in 2002–03. The contract was placed on 10 June 2002 for a two-year duration, with options to extend for a further period of up to five years.

Broadband

Iain Luke: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she has taken to increase availability of broadband in the more disadvantaged areas of the UK

Stephen Timms: Broadband is available to 80 per cent. of households in the UK which is higher than in Italy, France and the USA. The DTI is working with the Devolved Administrations (DAs) and Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) to extend the availability of broadband still further. We have given them £30 million for pilot schemes to extend the availability of broadband. This has stimulated further regional schemes worth at least £377 million over 2000–06.
	In England, the Broadband Aggregation Project will make sure that the £1 billion that the Government will spend on broadband connectivity for the public sector between 2003–06 will offer best value for money and widen availability. We have also set up a joint DTI/Defra Rural Broadband Team to address the issue of broadband availability in rural areas.

Fair Trade

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on Government action to encourage fair trade initiatives.

Patricia Hewitt: I strongly support the aims of the Fairtrade movement. It gives a clear indication to consumers that disadvantaged producer groups in developing countries receive a minimum price above that offered by mainstream markets.
	A real strength of the Fairtrade movement has been in raising awareness among mainstream retailers about the importance of managing supply chains to maximise benefits to the poor, and in raising public awareness of important development issues surrounding trade. That is why the Government, through the Department for International Development (DFID) has provided £500,000 in support of UK development awareness and education campaigns centred on Fairtrade over the past two years. My hon. Friend the Minister for Corporate and Social Responsibility met business leaders last year to encourage greater take-up of Fairtrade products. I have ensured that Fairtrade tea and coffee is made available throughout the DTI offices and many of my Cabinet colleagues have responded to my urging to do likewise.
	The Fairtrade market, despite recent rapid growth, remains small (£63 million in 2002). Through DFID's support for initiatives such as the Ethical Trading Initiative (£1.3 million over three years 2002–04)—an alliance of UK retail companies, NGOs and trade unions working to improve labour conditions in the supply chains of its corporate members—we are able to contribute to improving the working conditions under which £100 billion of goods are produced each year.

Fireworks

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to launch a public awareness programme after the introduction of the fireworks regulations.

Gerry Sutcliffe: A communication strategy to make those affected aware of the new regulations is in preparation and will be finalised when the timing and details of the regulations are decided.

Fireworks

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions her Department has had and plans to have with (a) police forces and (b) local authorities about the implementation of the new fireworks regulations and their enforcement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department has had preliminary discussions on fireworks regulations both to come into force before the end of the year and those regulatory proposals scheduled for implementation later on, in 2004.
	Specifically, with respect to (a), discussions have taken place on the powers required by the police to enforce possession offences under the Act; and, (b), on the role of local authorities in setting up the requisite machinery for the planned national curfew on firework use, which will be a part of the raft of measures to come into force in 2004.
	We will continue consultations and discussions on all proposed regulations in the coming months.

Fireworks

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether it is her policy that the sections of the Fireworks Act 2003 that concern anti-social behaviour and fireworks should be in force by Christmas.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department will implement two provisions of the Fireworks Act 2003 by the end of this year—those concerned with the antisocial use of fireworks. Those are:
	a prohibition on the possession of fireworks in public places by those under the age of 18; and
	a prohibition on the possession of category 4 fireworks by the general public.
	Other aspects of the Act concerned with both supply and other antisocial behaviour issues we intend to implement by the summer of 2004.

Inward Investment (Indian Businesses)

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on investment by Indian businesses in the UK.

Patricia Hewitt: There are more than 440 Indian investments in the UK with 19 new investments last year creating 316 new jobs.

Manufacturing

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what (a) proportion and (b) volume in financial terms of manufacturing conducted by companies registered in the UK (i) was carried out within the UK in 1993 and (ii) is carried out within the UK now; and what estimate her Department has made of the (A) proportion and (B) volume in (x) 2004, (y) 2008 and (z) 2013.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not available.

Manufacturing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken to encourage young people to work in the manufacturing sector.

Patricia Hewitt: Through the Government's National Skills Strategy we are working closely with all sectors of industry, and other stakeholders, to ensure that employers have access to the right skills to support their businesses and organisations. This is complemented by recent changes to the National Curriculum to add vocational choice, which will encourage young people to understand the opportunities that careers in various sectors, including manufacturing, can offer them.
	The DTI also published a Manufacturing Strategy, in May 2002, which set out seven areas of activity for manufacturing success, one of which was raising skills and education levels.
	Modern Apprenticeships are central to this Government's drive to improve the opportunities for work-based vocational training. Our target is that by 2004, 28 per cent. of young people will start a modern apprenticeship by age 22. To aid us in this task we have has set up a Modern Apprenticeship Taskforce to look at ways to increase the opportunities available for young people to participate in high quality Modern Apprenticeships and to recommend effective and innovative ways of ensuring that Modern Apprenticeship programmes respond to the changing needs of employers and young people.
	Many of the new Sector Skills Councils are helping to promote careers in manufacturing. In particular, SEMTA is supporting SETNET and financing careers advice; Skillfast UK has produced CDs containing careers advice for use in schools and colleges; and Pro-skills is developing a sandwiched based student apprenticeship programme.
	My Department continues to support the SETNET scheme, which was created in 1996 to raise interest in science, engineering, technology and mathematics (STEM) in young people (between five and 18) by showing them that they can lead to interesting and rewarding careers—which clearly includes the manufacturing sector. SETNET operates through 53 local SETPOINTS around the UK and is involved in the provision of schemes, resources and initiatives to enrich the delivery of STEM activities in schools.
	We are also taking steps to encourage interest in manufacturing and other STEM careers among women and ethnic minorities.

Manufacturing Investment

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to improve levels of manufacturing business investment.

Jacqui Smith: By maintaining a stable macroeconomic climate, together with measures such as reforming capital gains tax, making permanent enhanced capital allowances for small and medium sized firms, and introducing the R&D tax credit, we are providing a climate conducive to investment for the long-term in UK manufacturing.

Ofgem Guidance

John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with Ofgem on the guidance they give to (a) hon. Members and (b) constituents on difficulties in obtaining responses from the Customer Relations Department of npower. [R]

Stephen Timms: Ministers at the DTI have not had any recent discussions on these matters with Ofgem. Constituents who have had difficulty in resolving problems with gas and electricity suppliers should, in the first instance, contact the statutory consumer body, the Gas and Electricity Consumer Council (Energywatch), not Ofgem.

Patents

Richard Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the proposed directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions as approved by the European Parliament on 24 September; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 3 November 2003
	In considering the best ways to encourage innovation in the UK, the Government believe that a fair and effective intellectual property system, for software as well as for other areas of technology, plays a central part in developing and protecting new ideas. The aim of the UK Government and the European Commission, in the proposed directive on software patents, is to clarify the position on patentability of computer-implemented inventions and confirm that only those inventions that involve a technical contribution can be protected by patents. We believe that this is beneficial for industry and consumers alike.
	We continue to listen to the concerns of those who oppose the granting of patents in this field, and we believe that the Government's approach offers the best balance of protection for the industry and for users of software. The directive is now before a working group of the Council of Ministers where representatives from EU member states, and the Commission, will consider the amendments made by the Parliament and in due course submit it to the Council itself for its consideration. We will await the comments of the working group and the Commission before finalising our position.

Radioactive Waste

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the planned nuclear decommissioning authority will be given powers to renegotiate existing reprocessing contracts with British Energy when it takes over the ownership and management of the THORP reprocessing plant at Sellafield.

Stephen Timms: Legislation will be brought forward to establish the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) as soon as parliamentary time permits. We intend that the NDA will come into effect in April 2005.
	The NDA will take responsibility for those liabilities and assets currently owned and managed by BNFL at the THORP reprocessing plant. As the required legislation has not yet been introduced, it would be wrong to comment on what role the NDA might have in respect of contracts between BNFL and British Energy.
	In her statement to the House on 28 November 2002, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry made clear that the Government would need to contribute significantly to British Energy's historic nuclear fuel liabilities that are managed by BNFL in order for the restructuring of British Energy to work. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry also said she will look at how these contracts are managed as part of the creation of the NDA.

Small Business Advice

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to improve the provision of business advice to owners of small businesses in London.

Nigel Griffiths: During the first six months of the current financial year, Business Link for London has worked with over 31,887 businesses, this compares to the corresponding period of the previous financial year (2002–03) when 16,432 businesses were assisted, this being a 94 per cent. increase, including 23 per cent. that are Black or Minority Ethnic businesses.
	Business Link for London has an agreed Delivery Plan with the Small Business Service to provide a high quality business advice and support service to small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in London.
	Client satisfaction levels are currently at 83.1 per cent. (Quarter 2 result 2003–04), a 5.1 per cent. raise in satisfaction levels compared to the corresponding period in the previous financial year, showing that the quality of service is improving as well as the numbers receiving the service.

Small Loans Guarantee Fund

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make it her policy to increase the level at which the Government underwrite the Small Loans Guarantee Fund.

Nigel Griffiths: The Small Firms Loan Guarantee (SFLG) was extensively revised in April 2003 as part of the DTI's transformed business support programme. The changes, including a new guarantee level of 75 per cent for all eligible businesses and additional sector coverage including retail and catering, simplified the SFLG and widened its scope. From 1 April 2003 to 30 September 2003 take-up increased by 40 per cent over the same period last year. The DTI continues to monitor the operation of the SFLG to ensure that it remains relevant and accessible to small businesses.

Technology Sector

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the state of the technological sector in the United Kingdom.

Patricia Hewitt: During the course of the Innovation Review, my officials have produced a detailed economic assessment of the UK's innovation performance. This includes data and analysis on the technological performance of UK based firms.
	This assessment will be published shortly.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Evidence (Duress)

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what safeguards UK courts have in place to ensure that evidence presented before them has not been obtained under duress; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer given on 14 October 2003, Official Report, column 102W.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter to him dated 14 August from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. Khalid Rahtin.

David Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 3 September 2003.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter to him dated 2 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to facilities for the disabled.

David Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 23 October 2003.

Criminal Justice Boards

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many targets he has set for each local criminal justice board in 2003–04.

Paul Goggins: For the year 2003–04 and in the context of the Criminal Justice System Public Service Agreement, each local criminal justice board has been set the following targets:
	A nationally set target to increase by five per cent. the number of crimes for which an offender is brought to justice—this is also known as the 'narrowing the justice gap' target.
	The 'Narrowing the Justice Gap' target includes two further locally set sub-targets:
	To increase the number (within a range of five— 15 per cent.) of offences brought to justice committed by the core group of persistent offenders.
	To reduce the proportion of ineffective trials with locally set targets contributing to a required national level of improvement of 27 per cent. in both Crown court and magistrates courts over the three-year course of the target.
	A nationally set target to improve the level of public confidence in the criminal justice system—where a national six per cent point improvement is sought over the three-year course of the target.
	Outside of the Criminal Justice System Public Service Agreement, local boards have also been set the following targets for the year 2003–04:
	A nationally set target to ensure that the average time from arrest to sentence for Persistent young offenders is halved from 142 days to 71 days or lower in all criminal justice areas.
	A number of locally set targets across the time cases take, covering both youths and adults cases from charge to completion in the magistrates courts, and separately the time taken to handle a case in the Crown court ('timeliness' targets)—with the proviso that any area currently performing the national average must set an improvement target.

Criminal Records Bureau

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what assessment was made of the increase in running costs to the Criminal Records Bureau that necessitated the recent increase in fee levels;
	(2)  what the changes were since 1993 in fees from the Criminal Records Bureau to local authorities for applications for posts in the education and social care sectors.

Paul Goggins: The Criminal Records Bureau began operating in March 2002. Initially, the fee for both Standard and Enhanced Disclosures was £12 (with Disclosures issued free of charge to volunteers). We made it clear that the Bureau would eventually become self-financing through the fees that it charged and that the fees would be reviewed regularly. With effect from 1 July 2003, the fee for Standard Disclosures has risen to £24 and for Enhanced Disclosures to £29. A copy of a Regulatory Impact Assessment containing more detailed information has been placed in the Library.
	The Disclosure fee is determined by a combination of CRB costs and the volume of applications. The deferment of the introduction of Basic Disclosures has inevitably meant that the volumes of Disclosures issued has been less than forecast, thereby pushing up the unit cost of producing each Disclosure. In addition, the CRB has experienced some increase in costs, for example, as a result of the introduction of the paper application channel in response to customer demand. The CRB's planned expenditure in 2003–04 is £75 million (on the basis of a projected demand for 2.3 million Disclosures) as compared with an outturn of £59 million in 2002–03 (when some 1.5 million Disclosures were issued).

Criminal Records Bureau

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the average time taken to assess a Criminal Records Bureau application in the education and social care sectors was in the last quarter for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the backlog is of Criminal Records Bureau assessments in education and social care.

Paul Goggins: The specific information that my hon. Friend has asked for on processing times for applicants in the education and social care sectors is not available from the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) systems. The CRB does monitor and report on the average time to deal with all Disclosure applications, but its systems do not break this information down by sector.
	Likewise, the number of applications from individual sectors that are still awaiting a disclosure is not available. At present, however, the Bureau is processing in excess of 90 per cent. of all Enhanced Disclosures in four weeks and 90 per cent. of all Standard disclosures in two weeks. These performance figures are available on the CRB website: www.crb.gov.uk
	The CRB also monitors the number of applications that have been outstanding for more than six weeks. As at 4 October 2003, the latest date for which figures are available, the number of applications over six weeks old and awaiting completion is 1,486.

Criminal Records Bureau

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reduce the time taken for Criminal Records Bureau checks to be carried out on new staff in care homes.

Paul Goggins: Over 90 per cent. of Standard and Enhanced Disclosures are now issued within two and four weeks respectively, exceeding current service standards. These have been set based on experience gained of this complex operation. The current targets are realistic but challenging. They will be kept under review.
	We are determined to continue to improve the efficiency of the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the quality of the service it provides to its customers. Measures are currently under consideration in light of the recommendations of the Independent Review Team appointed by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary which are designed to reduce processing time.
	As the independent regulator, the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) has the responsibility to ensure that care homes meet all their statutory obligations. It has stated clearly that where CRB clearances are not in place, and provided that the welfare of care home residents is protected, it will apply its discretion on the use of its enforcement powers on a case by case basis. The NCSC issued a press release on 22 September 2003 setting out its approach to CRB checks for care home staff. A copy is available on the NCSC's website at www.carestandards.org.uk.

Criminal Records Bureau

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received in the increase in fees for security checks charged by the Criminal Records Bureau.

Paul Goggins: We have received—both direct and through right hon. and hon. Members—a significant number of representations. These have chiefly concerned two issues: the size of the increases in fees, which reflect increased unit costs and the need for the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) to move substantially towards a target of being self-financing by 2005–06; and the short notice of the increases which reflected the need to reduce the possibility of a surge in demand which could have had a detrimental effect on the CRB's operation.

Domestic Violence

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he gives on the way the police deal with the perpetrators of domestic violence.

Paul Goggins: Home Office circular 19/2000 gives guidance on police handling cases of domestic violence.
	The National Centre for Policing Excellence (NCPE) is currently developing updated guidelines for police handling of domestic violence cases.

Domestic Violence

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how the funding announced in January for domestic violence projects will be allocated;
	(2)  in which financial year he will allocate the money announced in January for domestic violence projects;
	(3)  when funding for domestic violence projects will be transferred from his Department to crime and disorder partnerships; whether the funds for prevention domestic violence will be ring-fenced; whether prevention of domestic violence will remain a priority for the Department under the new funding arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Domestic violence accounts for around 25 per cent. of violent crime and tackling it effectively remains a priority for the Home Department.
	In February this year my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced a £14 million funding package for domestic violence over a three year period. The first allocation from this funding—announced in May—was of over £2 million this year to domestic violence projects set up under the Crime Reduction Programme's Violence Against Women initiative. This included Gloucestershire's 'Co-ordinated Community Response' to domestic violence. This funding was to help these projects ensure that their services are work of local agencies and that they can secure sustainable ongoing funding for the longer term.
	Further funding over the three years will be allocated to help improve local action on domestic violence through Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs). A 'mapping exercise' of CDRP activity on domestic violence has recently been conducted to help inform these further allocations. We will be making announcements on this shortly.

Drugs

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the trade in heroin emanating from Afghanistan since the defeat of the Taliban; and if he will make a statement on the trends in volumes of heroin arriving in the United Kingdom from Afghanistan.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement on 30 October 2003 regarding the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) survey results for the 2003 opium poppy crop in Afghanistan, Official Report, column 20WS.
	The UNODC conducts an annual survey into the level of opium poppy cultivation and production in Afghanistan. It has reported levels over the past five years as follows:
	
		
			  Hectares Tonnes 
		
		
			 1999 91,000 4,600 
			 2000 82,000 3,300 
			 2001 8,000 185 
			 2002 74,000 3,400 
			 2003 80,000 3,600 
		
	
	The UNODC figures for 2001 reflects the Taliban ban on opium cultivation. The ban did not however address the underlying causes of poppy cultivation in Afghanistan and was enforced with a mix of serious violence and bribery.
	Afghanistan is the world's leading producer of opium and the UNODC has estimated that, taking into account seizures in the region, the likely amounts available for shipment out of Afghanistan in 2002 were 685 tons of opium and 212 tons of heroin and morphine. Approximately 25–35 metric tons of heroin are targeted on the UK every year and we estimate that around 95 per cent. of this originates from Afghanistan. Trends have remained fairly static.
	The UNODC poppy cultivation survey in 2003 has shown reductions in the traditional areas, which demonstrates that drug control policy has been effective where the Afghan Government have been able to exert control. Increasing security and stability in Afghanistan remains key to progress in reducing opium production. This in turn will also bring more stability to Afghanistan.

Drugs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is being done to combat the international drugs trade, particularly that emanating from countries of concern; and if he will make a statement on its impact upon the United Kingdom.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	The FCO's commitment to tackle international drug trafficking is set out in its Public Service Agreements. In line with the Government's 10-year drugs strategy, '1998–2008: Tackling Drugs Together to Build a Better Britain', the FCO's priority is to reduce the availability of Class A drugs in the UK. Through the Drugs and Crime Fund (£9.9 million in the financial year 2003–04), the FCO assists law enforcement and other agencies in key production and transit countries to improve their capability to disrupt the flow of Class A drugs to the UK.
	About 95 per cent. of the UK's heroin comes from Afghanistan. Afghanistan's National Drug Control Strategy, agreed earlier this year, has set the target of eliminating opium poppy by 2013. The UK is investing £70 million on sustainable measures over the next three years to support implementation of that strategy. Additional staff are being deployed to Kabul to assist in the implementation. I will be co-hosting, with President Karzai and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), an international conference in Kabul in February next year to boost further the international counter-narcotics effort in Afghanistan.
	In the financial year 2002–03 the FCO provided over £5 million in counter-narcotics related assistance to priority countries in South America and the Caribbean where illegal drugs are produced or trafficked. This assistance included funding for HMCE drug law enforcement training, provision of drug detection equipment, assessment of local law enforcement communications equipment and contributions to UNODC projects.

Fireworks

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are being taken to halt the illegal importation of fireworks, in particular through the internet.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
	Talks are already under way between DTI and the principal Departments that deal with importation and storage issues, that is, Customs and Excise and HSE, respectively.
	The Department, under the new Fireworks Act 2003, will bring in a raft of measures by the summer of 2004 and which will include a requirement on importers to provide information about their imports. The purpose of this would be to better track fireworks imports to help ensure that they are destined for legal (licensed) distribution and supply outlets.

Forensic Science Service

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the proposed Public-Private Partnership regarding the Forensic Science Service will require legislation.

Hazel Blears: The transformation of the Forensic Science Service into a Public-Private Partnership will require the revocation of the Forensic Science Service Trading Fund Order 1998.

Information Technology

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on purchasing and upgrading IT equipment by his Department (a) in 2003 and (b) in 2002; and what this cost per employee.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information requested is in the following table:
	
		
			  Time period Totals (£) 
		
		
			 Part FY 01 January 2002–31 March 2002 36,464,010 
			 Full FY 01 April 2002–31 March 2003 13,017,585 
			 Part FY 01 April 2003–30 September 2003 9,127,403 
			   58,608,998 
		
	
	Note:
	(a) The figures are expenditure incurred by the Home Department, which excludes Executive Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs).
	(b) The figures exclude expenditure from the Department's Outsourced Managed Service Contracts for the provision of IT infrastructure services, where the assets have not transferred to the public sector.
	The Home Department is unable accurately to reflect the cost per employee of purchasing and upgrading IT equipment due to differing commercial arrangements adopted in its contracts.

Jury Trial

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (a) in what circumstances and (b) for which criminal offences a jury trial may be refused to a person charged with a criminal offence.

Paul Goggins: There are presently no circumstances in which a person charged with a criminal offence may be refused jury trial.
	Certain offences are triable only on indictment, and must be heard by a judge and jury. Summary offences—which constitute the overwhelming majority of criminal cases—are triable only in the magistrates' courts unless they fulfil certain conditions (for example, because they are related to an indictable-only offence). Other offences are triable either way:
	by a judge and jury in the Crown Court on the direction of the magistrate or the election of the defendant, or summarily, with the consent of the defendant. There are no circumstances in which a person charged with an either-way offence can be tried summarily unless he or she has consented to summary trial. The Criminal Justice Bill currently before Parliament sets out new procedures for deciding the allocation of either-way cases, and for the sending to the Crown Court of those cases which need to go there, according to these principles.
	The Government have proposed in the Criminal Justice Bill that the prosecution should be able to apply for a trial on indictment in the Crown Court to proceed in the absence of a jury where the length and/or complexity of the trial is likely either to be so burdensome upon the jury trying it as to make it necessary in the interests of justice to conduct the trial without a jury, or to place an excessive burden on the life of a typical juror. The length or complexity (or both) must be caused by the need to address arrangements, transactions or records of a financial or commercial nature or which relate to property. The Bill also provides for a trial on indictment in the Crown Court to be conducted without a jury where there is a real and present danger of jury tampering, or to be continued without a jury where the jury has been discharged because of jury tampering. None of these provisions is restricted to particular criminal offences.
	The provisions were defeated at Lords Committee stage of the Bill. The Government have indicated their intention to reinstate them when the Bill returns to the House of Commons.

Prison Officers

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time prison officers were employed by Her Majesty's Prison Service in the East Riding of Yorkshire on 1 September in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: There are two prisons managed by Her Majesty's Prison Service (public sector prisons) in the East Riding of Yorkshire: Everthorpe and Hull prisons. Information on full-time officers employed at these prisons in each of the last three years is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Full time officers in post 
			 Establishment 1 September 2003 1 September 2002 1 September 2001 
		
		
			 HMP Everthorpe 124 120 125 
			 HMP Hull 342 307 242 
		
	
	Officers include prison officers, senior officers and principal officers.

Prison Population

Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage change in the prison population has been in each of the last 10 years; and what the percentage change in numbers of prison officers has been in each year in the same period.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is given in the following table. Figures are for England and Wales. Figures exclude those in privately managed prisons.
	
		
			 Year(as at end March) Percentage change in prison population compared to previous year Percentage change in number of prison officers compared to previous year 
		
		
			 1994 10.3 -1 .5 
			 1995 4.4 2.0 
			 1996 4.4 0.7 
			 1997 10.0 -5.5 
			 1998 7.8 1.7 
			 1999 -2.5 1.8 
			 2000 0.4 0.9 
			 2001 -0.6 -1.3 
			 2002 6.2 -3.0 
			 2003 4.6 2.3

Witnesses

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to maximise the number of witnesses to crime who (a) come forward and (b) stay with a case to its conclusion.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 23 October 2003
	The Government published in July this year a national strategy to deliver improved services to victims and witnesses. It recognises that ensuring witnesses come forward and give evidence in court is essential for the effective administration of justice.
	The Criminal Procedure (Attendance of Witnesses) Act 1965 and the Magistrates' Court Act 1980 already provide for a witness summons to be issued if the court is satisfied that the witness is likely to be able to give or produce material evidence but will not do so voluntarily. On 3 October we published a consultation paper and invited responses by 2 January 2004 to a proposal to introduce a greater element of compulsion in securing the attendance of witnesses in court.
	The Government have introduced a range of special measures to assist vulnerable witnesses to give their evidence in court, including video recording, live links, the use of intermediaries and communication aids. The Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 provides the legislative framework for these measures and a phased implementation programme began on 24 July 2002.
	Pilot projects to maximise the number of witnesses coming forward and staying with the case are currently operating on a local basis and the Government have agreed to support these financially. For example:
	The West Mercia Constabulary is engaged on a project to examine the reasons why some witnesses are reluctant to report crime and to test the effectiveness of a single point of contact (a "one stop shop") as a way of regularly updating witnesses on the progress of their cases.
	The Warwickshire Police is piloting the co-location of police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) staff dealing with witnesses and integrated information technology.
	The Metropolitan Police is piloting better co-ordination of the arrangements, both within and between criminal justice agencies, of the arrangements for dealing with witnesses.
	The CPS, the Prime Minister's Office of Public Service Reform (OPSR) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) are running a joint project with pilot sites in South Yorkshire, West Midlands, North Wales, Gwent and Essex. This project is testing a customer-focused service that tailors support more closely to individual witnesses' needs and provides multi-agency dedicated witness care units. These work with witnesses at every stage of the criminal justice process.
	The pilots directly support the criminal justice system's Public Service Agreement (PSA) target of narrowing the justice gap, reducing ineffective hearings and raising public confidence. They also complement two other key criminal justice initiatives—the CPS/ACPO Charging Programme and the Effective Trial Management Programme.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Education and Business Links

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will take steps to seek to improve school leavers' understanding of the business environment.

David Miliband: We are already taking steps for this goal. The introduction of work-related learning in September 2004 as a statutory requirement at Key Stage 4 for 14 to 16 year-olds will help improve pupils' understanding of the diversity and function of business and its contribution to national prosperity. As part of this, from 2005 all Key Stage 4 pupils will be offered the equivalent of five days' enterprise activity which will develop enterprise capability. This will add to their existing learning opportunities through the PSHE and citizenship curriculum and activities such as work experience placements, industry days and employer mentoring schemes.

Education Provision(Bath and North East Somerset)

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the schools in Bath and North East Somerset which have benefited significantly from the Government's capital initiatives since 1997.

David Miliband: All schools in Bath and North East Somerset have benefited significantly from capital investment, as we introduced Devolved formula capital for all schools in 2000–01. For a typical primary school of 250 pupils this is worth £21,900 in 2003–04, rising to £25,500 in 2005–06. A typical secondary of 1,000 pupils would receive £74,900 in 2003–04, rising to £87,250 in 2005–06.
	As the majority of capital funding is now allocated to local education authorities by formula, so that they can fund locally agreed priorities, the Department does not collect detailed information about the work carried out. This should be held locally. Overall capital investment is set to rise from £3.8 billion this year to over £5 billion in 2005–06, compared with under £700 million in 1996–97.

Education Provision(Bath and North East Somerset)

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will estimate how many support staff were employed by schools in Bath and North East Somerset in (a) 1997 and (b) 2003.

David Miliband: Support staff numbers in maintained schools in England by local authority are shown in table 19 of the Schools Workforce in England statistical first release (SFR) of 9 September 2003. A copy of this SFR has been placed in the Library. The table is also available on the statistics section of the DfES website at: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000411/index.shtml

Education Provision(Bath and North East Somerset)

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many full-time equivalent teachers there were in Bath and North East Somerset in (a) 1997, (b) 2001 and (c) 2003.

David Miliband: Full-time equivalent teacher numbers in maintained schools in England by local authority are shown in table 15 of the Schools Workforce in England statistical first release (SFR) of 9 September 2003. A copy of this SFR has been placed in the Library. The table is also available on the statistics section of the DfES website at: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000411/index.shtml

Education Provision(Bath and North East Somerset)

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what proportion of 15-year-olds in Bath and North East Somerset in 2002–03 entered for GCSE or equivalent examinations;
	(2)  what proportion of 15-year-olds in Bath and North East Somerset in (a) 1996–97 and (b) 1997–98 achieved (a) five or more A*-C GCSE grades and (b) one or more GCSE passes.

David Miliband: The statistical information for Bath and North East Somerset requested in the two questions 136340 and 136341 is detailed in the table:
	
		
			   Percentage of: 
			 Academic Year 15-year-old pupils who entered for1 or more GCSE/GNVQ 15-year-olds achieving 5 or more grades A*-C GCSE/GNVQ 15-year-olds achieving 1 or more grades A*-G GCSE/GNVQ 
		
		
			 1997 96.4 51.3 95.3 
			 1998 97.2 53.2 96.5 
			 2003 (provisional) 97.1 59.7 95.9

Education Provision (East Riding)

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) primary and (b) secondary teacher vacancies there were in the East Riding of Yorkshire on 31 October of each year since 1997.

David Miliband: Vacancy data as at October are not collected. The following table shows teacher vacancies in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in the East Riding of Yorkshire at January of each year.
	
		Full-time vacancies in the East Riding of Yorkshire:
		
			  Nursery and Primary Secondary 
		
		
			 1997 0 0 
			 1998 1 0 
			 1999 4 0 
			 2000 2 0 
			 2001 0 6 
			 2002 12 12 
			 2003 0 5

Education Provision (East Riding)

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the average class sizes of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Haltemprice and Howden for the current academic year.

Stephen Twigg: Figures on average class sizes for primary and secondary schools for this academic year are not yet available. Monitoring of all class sizes is carried out via the information collected in the Annual Schools Census in January of each year.
	As at January 2003, the average sizes of classes taught by one teacher in primary schools and secondary schools in Haltemprice and Howden were 26.8 and 22.2 respectively.
	The national figures for primary and secondary schools were 26.3 and 21.9 respectively.

Free School Dinners

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of pupils are eligible for free school dinners in each constituency, listed in descending order.

Stephen Twigg: The information requested has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Higher Education (Social Groups)

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many students were admitted to higher education from each social group in each academic year since 1997;
	(2)  how many applicants to higher education there were from each social group in each academic year since 1997.

Alan Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 3 June 2003, Official Report, column 214W, which gave the latest available figures for applicants and accepted applicants through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) to full-time and sandwich undergraduate courses in the UK.
	Figures for 2003 entry should be available in early 2004.

Key Stage Tests

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many 14 year-olds in Bath and North East Somerset were eligible to sit Key Stage 3 tests in 2002–03.

David Miliband: The total number of Key Stage 3 eligible pupils in 2002 and 2003 in Bath and North East Somerset were:
	2003 (Provisional)—2,219
	2002—2,189

Key Stage Tests

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of children in Bath and North East Somerset in (a) 1996–97 and (b) 2002–03 gained level 5 or above in their Key Stage 3 tests in (i) English and (ii) mathematics.

David Miliband: The percentage of pupils achieving Level 5 or above at Key Stage 3 in Bath and North East Somerset in (a) 1997 and (b) 2003 in (i) English and (ii) mathematics are as follows:
	
		Percentage
		
			  English Mathematics 
		
		
			 1997   
			 Bath and North East Somerset 64 67 
			 England 57 60 
			
			 2003 (provisional)   
			 Bath and North East Somerset 74 76 
			 England 68 70

Key Stage Tests

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils each year, between 1996–97 and 2002–03, gained (a) Key Stage 5 A-Cs, (b) Key Stage 2 level 4 and (c) Key Stage 3 level 5.

David Miliband: The figures requested for all schools in England are:
	
		(a) GCSE/GNVQ
		
			  Number achieving5 or more A*-C Percentage achieving5 or more A*-C 
		
		
			 1996–97 264,892 45.1 
			 1997–98 266,431 46.3 
			 1998–99 278,560 47.9 
			 1999–2000 285,727 49.2 
			 2000–01 301,542 50.0 
			 2001–02 312,739 51.6 
			 2002–03(2) 327,301 52.6 
		
	
	
		(b) KS2 tests
		
			  English Maths Science 
			  Number achieving Level 5 or above Percentage achieving Level 4 or above Number achieving Level 5 or above Percentage achieving Level 4 or above Number achieving Level 5 or above Percentage achieving Level 4 or above 
		
		
			 1996/97 373,392 63 365,998 62 404,629 69 
			 1997/98 394,170 65 356,749 59 420,577 69 
			 1998/99 443,445 71 434,044 69 493,235 78 
			 1999/2000 466,408 75 446,480 72 527,428 85 
			 2000/01 474,881 75 446,998 71 552,699 87 
			 2001/02 478,533 75 468,994 73 553,462 86 
			 2002/03(2) 477,625 75 461,804 73 551,031 87 
		
	
	
		(c) KS3 tests
		
			  English Maths Science 
			  Number achieving Level 5 or above Percentage achieving Level 5 or above Number achieving Level 5 or above Percentage achieving Level 5 or above Number achieving Level 5 or above Percentage achieving Level 5 or above 
		
		
			 1996/97 315,582 57 332,482 60 331,834 60 
			 1997/98 357,973 65 331,582 59 310,502 56 
			 1998/99 365,702 64 358,423 62 315,192 55 
			 1999/2000 369,786 64 376,274 65 343,787 59 
			 2000/01 382,566 65 394,581 66 389,996 66 
			 2001/02 407,269 67 412,016 67 407,374 67 
			 2002/03(2) 412,847 68 428,557 70 414,027 68 
		
	
	(2) Provisional figures

Qualifications

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the findings of research conducted for his Department by Machin, Vignoles and Galindo-Rueda on the relationship between institutional productivity and skills attainments at various levels.

Charles Clarke: The research by Machin, Vignoles and Galindo-Rueda showed strong productivity effects from academic level 4+ qualifications and positive productivity effects from level 2 academic qualifications, although these are not quite as robust as the academic level 4 results. At both of these levels employers receive a productivity benefit over and above the wage increase employees enjoyed as a result of holding these qualifications.
	No systematic impact on productivity from vocational qualifications was found, regardless of level though the methodology used meant that the impact of vocational qualifications would be more difficult to detect than that of academic qualifications. The authors themselves admit that this finding contradicts previous research, such as that by Mclntosh 1 , which shows that there are wage returns to the individual for vocational qualifications. Further work is being carried out to gain a firmer evidence base in this area.
	The analysis also showed that workers with the poorest basic skills are more likely to be found out of work.
	1 McIntosh, S. Further Analysis of the Further Returns to Academic and Vocational Qualifications. DfES 2002 (RR370)

Schools (Ethnic Mix)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to promote a greater ethnic mix in schools in multi-ethnic areas; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: The Code of Practice on School Admissions was revised in January 2003 and makes it clear that all admission authorities have a duty to promote racial equality and should assess the impact of their admissions policies on ethnic minority pupils and parents.
	Guidance issued earlier this year to School Organisation Committees asks them to consider the potential contribution to community cohesion when considering proposals for a new school. Schools can promote community cohesion by inclusive admission arrangements or by working with other local schools to bring children of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds together to promote understanding between different groups in our society.

Student Drop-out

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students dropped out from undergraduate degree courses in each of the past five years, broken down by the year of their course in which the drop-out occurred.

Alan Johnson: The available information on the non-continuation of students beyond the first year in each university, and the projected course non-completion rate in each university is contained in "Performance Indicators in Higher Education in the UK" published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, a copy of which is available from the House library. The latest edition, published in December 2002, gives figures for students starting full-time degree courses in the United Kingdom in 1999/00. No data are held covering those students who drop out of their course after two or three years.
	The latest figures are given below. Corresponding data for 2000/01 will be published later in the autumn.
	
		Completion rates of HE students in UK HE institutions
		
			  Full-time first degree entrants 
			 Students startingcourses in academicyear: Percentage not continuing to 2year Percentage who failed to complete the course 
		
		
			 1996/97 10 18 
			 1997/98 9 17 
			 1998/99 10 17 
			 1999/2000 10 17 
		
	
	Nationally, the non-completion rate has remained broadly the same at 17–18 per cent. since 1991–92, a period of considerable expansion of student numbers.
	Figures published in 2003 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) show that the UK has one of the lowest non-completion rates among OECD countries.

Student Performance Variations

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the "Education at a Glance" 2003: OECD Indicators finding that in the United Kingdom 82 per cent. of the variation in student performance lies within schools.

Alan Johnson: The OECD's "Education at a Glance" for 2003 reports the variation in reading literacy between schools in the UK to be 22.4 per cent. of the average variation in student performance across all OECD countries, and the corresponding variation in reading literacy within UK schools to be 82.3 per cent. Taken together, these variances imply that 78.6 per cent. of the total UK variance lay within schools, and 21.4 per cent. between.
	A majority of the countries that participated in PISA 2000 showed a greater variation in performance within schools than between schools. Compared with the UK, within-school variation was higher in Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and the USA. The UK had a similar level of within-school variation to Finland, Ireland and Canada. Countries that have more selection by ability tend to show more variation between schools and less variation within them, compared to countries with less selection.
	An important contributor to the variation in reading literacy performance in schools is socio-economic background. We aim through our proposals for 14 to 19-year-olds 1 to transform the learning experience for young people, so that by the age of 16 they are committed to continued learning, whether in school, college or the workplace, whatever their home background.
	Policies aimed at levelling up pupil attainment include:
	the school work force reform programme, the central purpose of which is to give teachers more time to focus on activities that really make a difference—including the planning, preparation and assessment that enable teaching and learning to be tailored to individual pupil needs;work to strengthen school leadership such as the National Professional Qualification for Headship, now run by the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) which also runs programmes to improve the performance of middle managers such as year heads;tracking pupil achievement more closely; andsupporting parents and encouraging them to participate in their children's learning, in line with research evidence showing (i) that parental interest in their child's education between the ages of 11 and 16 has a more powerful effect on children's attainment than social class, size of family and level of parental education; and (ii) that good at-home parenting has a significant impact on children's education throughout the years of schooling.
	The creation of the Children and Families Directorate and the recent publication of the Green Paper "Every Child Matters" reaffirm the Department's commitment to making life better for children and their families.
	1 14–19: opportunity and excellence.

Teacher Numbers

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many qualified teachers were working in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in each borough of London for each year since 1997.

David Miliband: The following tables show full-time equivalent regular qualified teachers in maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools in each London authority in January of each year since 1997. During this period there was a decrease of 8,200 in the number of pupils in primary schools in London and an increase of 42,800 in secondary school pupil numbers. The tables exclude regular teachers without Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), for example, those on employment based routes leading to QTS and those who have overseas teaching qualifications. There were 5,400 full-time equivalent regular teachers without QTS in service in maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools in London in January 2003.
	
		Full-time equivalent regular(3) qualified primary school teachers
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 City of London 10 20 20 20 10 10 20 
			 Camden 590 560 550 580 520 530 580 
			 Greenwich 1,020 990 990 1,010 970 930 930 
			 Hackney 840 850 870 870 840 780 790 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 460 410 410 440 430 450 420 
			 Islington 800 800 740 750 680 750 700 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 360 350 350 330 340 340 340 
			 Lambeth 1,040 1,040 1,010 950 960 990 940 
			 Lewisham 1,010 1,010 970 1,020 1,030 1,010 1,050 
			 Southwark 1,000 1,030 1,050 1,040 1,080 1,060 1,060 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,150 1,080 1,140 1,100 1,040 990 940 
			 Wandsworth 870 850 890 870 860 860 840 
			 Westminster 560 520 530 530 520 520 530 
			 Barking and Dagenham 750 720 730 730 740 720 710 
			 Barnet 1,270 1,210 1,230 1,220 1,190 1,200 1,190 
			 Bexley 890 870 900 880 910 910 850 
			 Brent 1,110 1,100 1,090 1,030 1,020 1,010 1,020 
			 Bromley 970 980 1,000 980 1,090 1,100 1,080 
			 Croydon 1,420 1,400 1,380 1,530 1,550 1,370 1,370 
			 Ealing 1,210 1,200 1,200 1,170 1,140 1,120 1,030 
			 Enfield 1,110 1,130 1,120 1,260 1,150 1,230 1,120 
			 Haringey 1,020 1,010 1,000 990 970 950 940 
			 Harrow 960 910 890 800 880 840 830 
			 Havering 900 890 900 920 890 890 870 
			 Hillingdon 930 930 920 970 990 960 920 
			 Hounslow 910 880 890 870 850 830 750 
			 Kingston upon Thames 490 480 480 490 490 490 500 
			 Merton 690 670 680 640 670 650 600 
			 Newham 1,110 1,110 1,160 1,210 1,210 1,210 1,210 
			 Redbridge 910 920 950 980 970 940 930 
			 Richmond upon Thames 550 550 550 540 560 520 560 
			 Sutton 580 590 600 600 620 610 650 
			 Waltham Forest 990 1,030 1,040 950 890 910 780 
			 
			 London 28,470 28,070 28,230 28,280 28,050 27,690 27,040 
		
	
	
		Full-time equivalent regular(3) qualified secondary school teachers
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Camden 770 770 740 630 760 780 650 
			 Greenwich 870 850 860 870 890 940 930 
			 Hackney 490 510 530 520 480 500 510 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 360 410 410 450 440 420 390 
			 Islington 520 500 490 510 510 500 490 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 250 250 250 240 250 240 240 
			 Lambeth 480 510 490 510 490 470 470 
			 Lewisham 740 740 730 740 800 770 780 
			 Southwark 590 620 620 630 630 680 620 
			 Tower Hamlets 900 890 910 890 880 860 960 
			 Wandsworth 640 640 640 630 650 660 630 
			 Westminster 530 540 550 560 570 570 550 
			 Barking and Dagenham 660 640 660 670 660 680 690 
			 Barnet 1,410 1,360 1,370 1,380 1,390 1,370 1,390 
			 Bexley 900 920 950 940 950 1,050 1,010 
			 Brent 930 950 940 940 910 920 1,050 
			 Bromley 1,170 1,190 1,200 1,200 1,290 1,320 1,270 
			 Croydon 1,000 1,030 1,030 1,200 1,120 1,080 1,050 
			 Ealing 890 870 900 920 880 890 970 
			 Enfield 1,230 1,280 1,320 1,270 1,280 1,180 1,240 
			 Haringey 740 720 730 740 750 720 710 
			 Harrow 560 550 560 530 550 540 550 
			 Havering 900 900 910 880 940 930 950 
			 Hillingdon 970 990 960 1,010 1,020 1,000 980 
			 Hounslow 990 960 980 970 980 950 920 
			 Kingston upon Thames 520 520 520 510 520 510 570 
			 Merton 460 460 450 440 450 440 490 
			 Newham 1,000 1,020 1,040 1,050 1,080 1,080 1,080 
			 Redbridge 1,030 1,040 1,070 1,040 1,160 1,140 1,190 
			 Richmond upon Thames 480 480 470 440 440 490 430 
			 Sutton 730 750 770 810 830 860 940 
			 Waltham Forest 810 820 840 890 820 800 770 
			 
			 London 24,540 24,690 24,880 25,000 25,350 25,320 25,490 
		
	
	(3) Figures rounded to nearest 10.

Tuition Fees

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to change the income assessments for eligibility for full or partial remission of tuition fees.

Alan Johnson: We intend to keep the income thresholds at which students are eligible for full and partial fee remission under review. In addition, from 2004, the poorest 30 per cent. of students—those whose parental income is below £15,200—will receive a full HE grant of £1,000. From 2006–07, Higher Education Institutions will need to offer additional bursaries to students, as part of the access agreements they will draw up in return for the ability to charge variable fees of up to £3,000.

Undergraduate Courses

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of undergraduates failed to complete a course at a higher education institution, broken down by (a) institution and (b) course title, in each year since 1997.

Alan Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 3 June 2003, Official Report, column 215W, which gave the latest available information on non-completion rates contained in "Performance Indicators in Higher Education", published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
	The next edition, covering students starting courses in 2000–01, is scheduled for publication later in the autumn.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Digital Television

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of (a) the UK and (b) Wales she estimates will be able to receive digital TV transmissions by January 2004.

Estelle Morris: The ITC and BBC advise that around 73.1 per cent. of UK households and around 56 per cent. of households situated in Wales are now able to receive the Freeview digital terrestrial television (DTT) service. We do not anticipate further significant coverage increases from the current transmitter sites at this stage. Work on developing a detailed plan for increased DTT coverage is on-going under the Digital Television Action Plan, a copy of which is available at www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk. Digital television services are also available to around 98 per cent. of UK households on digital satellite and to around 25 per cent. of households on digital cable.

Foreign Visitors (Romford)

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many foreign visitors she estimates visited Romford in 2002–03.

Richard Caborn: The International Passenger Survey records visits to Romford as part of the total for London; figures on the number of visits by foreign residents specifically to Romford are not collected.

National Lottery

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total amount given in lottery grants was for each constituency in the past 10 years; and what the total amount of lottery money raised in each constituency was in the past 10 years, listed in descending order according to the amount spent in each constituency.

Estelle Morris: I am arranging for the information detailing the total amount given in lottery grants in each constituency to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	Information about National Lottery ticket sales is not broken down by constituency, but the National Lottery Commission is able to provide information about sales broken down by postcode area. I shall write to my hon. Friend with it as soon as possible, placing copies of my letter in the Libraries of both Houses.
	Ticket sales do not directly link to the overall amount of money raised by the lottery. Payments not in respect of ticket sales form a part of lottery income and this money cannot be attributed to any specific area.

National Lottery

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total amount of Lottery grants given to (a) the richest 100 wards in the UK and (b) the poorest 100 wards in the UK in the past 10 years was, in descending order.

Estelle Morris: Based on information provided by the Lottery distributors for the Department's Lottery awards database, and using the most recent Index of Multiple Deprivation, the amounts awarded to the most and least deprived wards are in the tables. Since 2000, due to boundary changes, a number of wards have ceased to exist and so are not shown in the tables.
	The lists relate only to England as no comparable UK list is available.
	
		Most deprived electoral wards
		
			  Total (£) 
		
		
			 Central-Manchester 103,026,295 
			 Everton-Liverpool 69,302,407 
			 West City-Newcastle upon Tyne 52,392,867 
			 Ardwick-Manchester 42,135,721 
			 Spitalfields and Banglatown-Tower Hamlets 31,244,580 
			 Myton-Kingston upon Hull, City of 24,751,077 
			 Blackwall and Cubitt Town-Tower Hamlets 20,063,992 
			 Burngreave-Sheffield 18,060,393 
			 Central-Bolton 16,052,010 
			 Birkenhead-Wirral 12,749,057 
			 Sparkbrook-Birmingham 10,437,974 
			 Central-Peterborough 10,274,418 
			 Beswick and Clayton-Manchester 9,869,176 
			 Aston-Birmingham 9,734,515 
			 Portrack and Tilery-Stockton-on-Tees 9,172,229 
			 Weavers-Tower Hamlets 9,139,375 
			 St. Mary's-Liverpool 7,822,697 
			 St. Hilda's-Middlesbrough 6,904,911 
			 South Bank-Redcar and Cleveland 6,743,538 
			 Granby-Liverpool 6,564,303 
			 Linacre-Sefton 6,192,862 
			 Vauxhall-Liverpool 5,550,313 
			 Byker-Newcastle upon Tyne 4,853,126 
			 Central and Falinge-Rochdale 4,750,701 
			 Elswick-Newcastle upon Tyne 4,594,991 
			 Beckton-Newham 4,464,004 
			 Orchard Park and Greenwood-Kingston upon Hull, City of 4,172,593 
			 Moss Side-Manchester 3,805,794 
			 Manvers-Nottingham 3,701,533 
			 North Braunstone-Leicester 3,198,980 
			 Beckfield-Middlesbrough 3,117,328 
			 Smallbridge and Wardleworth-Rochdale 2,889,038 
			 Clubmoor-Liverpool 2,808,023 
			 Pier-Thanet 2,688,012 
			 Nelson-Great Yarmouth 2,687,800 
			 Kensington-Liverpool 2,552,052 
			 Coldhurst-Oldham 2,451,232 
			 Daneshouse with Stoneyholme-Burnley 2,066,213 
			 Little Norton-Bradford 1,954,084 
			 Kirkby Central-Knowsley 1,951,391 
			 Regent-Great Yarmouth 1,853,980 
			 Whitefield-Pendle 1,778,409 
			 Walker-Newcastle upon Tyne 1,741,950 
			 Dearne Thurnscoe-Barnsley 1,731,179 
			 Bradford-Manchester 1,718,580 
			 Park-Sheffield 1,683,975 
			 Queensbridge-Hackney 1,594,743 
			 East India and Lansbury-Tower Hamlets 1,558,065 
			 Manor-Sheffield 1,503,839 
			 Breckfield-Liverpool 1,490,809 
			 Smithdown-Liverpool 1,470,202 
			 Soho and Victoria-Sandwell 1,189,662 
			 Werneth-Oldham 1,170,332 
			 Netherley-Liverpool 1,029,582 
			 Tranmere-Wirral 955,339 
			 Cherryfield-Knowsley 951,926 
			 Alexandra-Oldham 935,289 
			 Strelley-Nottingham 879,832 
			 Middleton West-Rochdale 876,537 
			 Woodhouse Park-Manchester 853,951 
			 Bidston-Wirral 851,456 
			 Melrose-Liverpool 793,951 
			 Limehouse-Tower Hamlets 792,624 
			 Gorton South-Manchester 745,674 
			 Grangetown-Redcar and Cleveland 718,173 
			 Owton-Hartlepool 714,291 
			 Speke-Liverpool 706,523 
			 Dyke House-Hartlepool 705,506 
			 Central-Hyndburn 646,921 
			 Chirton-North Tyneside 635,459 
			 Northwood-Knowsley 633,526 
			 Benchill-Manchester 563,921 
			 Harpurhey-Manchester 550,234 
			 Southwick-Sunderland 488,700 
			 Newton Heath-Manchester 428,392 
			 Monkchester-Newcastle upon Tyne 413,430 
			 Dovecot-Liverpool 392,140 
			 Pirrie-Liverpool 373,207 
			 Southey Green-Sheffield 354,357 
			 Thorntree-Middlesbrough 336,011 
			 Bradford Moor-Bradford 328,145 
			 Blakenall-Walsall 311,834 
			 Eden Hill-Easington 257,828 
			 Cantril Farm-Knowsley 248,438 
			 Audley-Blackburn with Darwen 207,508 
			 Shadsworth-Blackburn with Darwen 201,900 
			 Deneside-Easington 198,179 
			 Mirehouse-Copeland 194,353 
			 Park End-Middlesbrough 192,450 
			 Tower Hill-Knowsley 181,916 
			 Pallister-Middlesbrough 180,499 
			 Princess-Knowsley 167,034 
			 Sandwith-Copeland 158,607 
			 Longview-Knowsley 56,349 
			 Higher Croft-Blackburn with Darwen 34,246 
			 Beechwood-Middlesbrough 30,220 
			 Shirebrook North-West–Bolsover 7,409 
		
	
	
		Least deprived electoral wards
		
			  Total (£) 
		
		
			 Beaconsfield South-South Bucks 6,012,382 
			 Eton North and South-Windsor and Maidenhead 3,410,463 
			 Boxley-Maidstone 2,333,634 
			 St. Paul-Winchester 2,220,065 
			 Merrow and Burpham-Guildford 2,197,413 
			 Verulam-St. Albans 1,987,714 
			 Lightwater-Surrey Heath 1,615,756 
			 Tudor-Kingston upon Thames 1,419,732 
			 Harpenden West-St. Albans 1,356,024 
			 St. Alphege-Solihull 1,308,273 
			 Trafalgar-Horsham 992,090 
			 Parkside-Surrey Heath 970,678 
			 Gerrards Cross North-South Bucks 902,829 
			 Prestwood and Heath End-Chiltern 847,733 
			 Chalfont St. Peter Central-Chiltern 724,880 
			 Over-South Cambridgeshire 630,906 
			 Martlesham-Suffolk Coastal 629,507 
			 Thames-Reading 571,921 
			 Christchurch-Guildford 527,030 
			 Wollaston-Wellingborough 443,823 
			 Ashtead Village-Mole Valley 425,023 
			 Pangbourne-West Berkshire 424,696 
			 Bourne End-cum-Hedsor-Wycombe 394,412 
			 Haywards Heath-Heath-Mid Sussex 365,079 
			 Sonning Common-South Oxfordshire 323,587 
			 West Byfleet-Woking 311,000 
			 Coronation-Wokingham 310,845 
			 Hiltingbury East-Eastleigh 307,424 
			 Chorleywood West-Three Rivers 284,509 
			 Chesham Bois and Weedon Hill-Chiltern 269,425 
			 Fetcham East-Mole Valley 263,578 
			 Deeping St. James-South Kesteven 251,764 
			 Windlesham-Surrey Heath 237,391 
			 Shenfield-Brentwood 233,902 
			 Shrivenham-Vale of White Horse 232,677 
			 Abbey-Warwick 226,804 
			 Chevening-Sevenoaks 216,300 
			 Tarporley and Oulton-Vale Royal 199,212 
			 Redhatch-Wokingham 192,446 
			 Fulshaw-Macclesfield 183,162 
			 Broadstone-Poole 176,072 
			 Chalfont St. Giles-Chiltern 172,527 
			 Burgess Hill-Chanctonbury-Mid Sussex 172,480 
			 Comberton-South Cambridgeshire 171,516 
			 Lindfield Urban-Mid Sussex 170,008 
			 Haywards Heath Harlands-Mid Sussex 158,764 
			 College—Epsom and Ewell 149,743 
			 Petts Wood and Knoll-Bromley 148,298 
			 Hempstead and Wigmore-Medway 145,029 
			 Weybridge South—Elmbridge 143,541 
			 Marlow North-Wycombe 132,986 
			 Hazlemere Central-Wycombe 130,275 
			 Croxley Green-Three Rivers 122,516 
			 Little Sandhurst-Bracknell Forest 101,000 
			 Aldenham East-Hertsmere 97,102 
			 Evendons-Wokingham 93,544 
			 Harpenden South-St. Albans 92,103 
			 Emmbrook-Wokingham 90,028 
			 Bisley-Stroud 89,576 
			 Weston Green-Elmbridge 78,000 
			 Stapleford-South Cambridgeshire 62,786 
			 Little Hungerford-Wokingham 53,627 
			 Frimley Green-Surrey Heath 46,660 
			 FetchamWest—Mole Valley 45,534 
			 Pannal—Harrogate 35,681 
			 Hiltingbury West—Eastleigh 30,797 
			 Hazlemere West-Wycombe 30,357 
			 Selsdon and Ballards-Croydon 27,447 
			 South Woodham-Collingwood East and West-Chelmsford 23,405 
			 Fleet Pondtail-Hart 21,904 
			 Hook-Hart 18,857 
			 Kempshott-Basingstoke and Deane 18,651 
			 Pyrford-Woking 18,384 
			 Heatherside-Surrey Heath 17,995 
			 Oxshott and Stoke D'Abernon-Elmbridge 17,207 
			 Walton South-Elmbridge 16,248 
			 Harpenden East-St.Albans 12,649 
			 Croxley Green South-Three Rivers 11,515 
			 Chineham-Basingstoke and Deane 10,000 
			 Riverhead-Sevenoaks 9,000 
			 Moor Park and Eastbury-Three Rivers 8,995 
			 Holmes Chapel-Congleton 8,735 
			 Fleet Courtmoor-Hart 7,926 
			 Sonning-Wokingham 7,230 
			 Nork-Reigate and Banstead 5,614 
			 Marlow Bottom-Wycombe 4,100 
			 HinchleyWood-Elmbridge 1,612 
			 Burgess Hill-Franklands-Mid Sussex 1,120

New Community Development Fund

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of the New Community Development Fund sports budget will be allocated to (a) tennis, netball, hockey and swimming and (b) other women's and girls' sporting activities.

Richard Caborn: Under the Community Club Development Programme, a total of £60 million has been made available over 2003–06 for the development of facilities at community sports clubs. Of that total, tennis will receive £9.4 million as one of four major participation sports (the others being football, rugby and cricket). Netball, hockey and swimming will receive £1.66 million each.
	The Government have not made these funds available on the assumption that these, or other, sports are exclusively for women or girls. Each of the 16 sports included in the programme will make funds available for the encouragement of women's and girls' participation, against their own development plans.

Obesity

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to tackle obesity through sport.

Richard Caborn: The Government are aware that obesity levels are rising, especially among young people. Raising levels of community participation is key to tackling this. The Government are addressing this by investing in high-quality local sport and activity resources which are available to all. The New Opportunities Fund (NOF) and Space for Sport and the Arts are putting over £581 million into new PE and school sport facilities in England and Wales, and putting over £400 million into local sports facilities, healthy living centres and activity centres for young people. In addition, we are supporting the vital network of 110,000 amateur sports clubs with a new £60 million capital investment, tax and charity breaks, and mandatory rate relief. £28 million is also being invested by my Department in the recruitment, training and deployment of sports coaches across the UK.

Regional Development Agencies

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on co-ordination between regional development agencies and her Department on sport.

Richard Caborn: Under its modernisation and restructuring programme, Sport England is devolving greater responsibility for funding decisions on community sports projects to its regional offices. New Regional Sports Boards, constituted as sub-committees of Sport England, will prepare Regional Sports Strategies in consultation with all relevant regional interests, including regional development agencies. The strategies will inform funding decisions in the regions.
	The Department and Sport England also work directly with individual RDAs on specific issues, such as the long-term future of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in which the East Midlands Development Agency is representing the Government in discussions with key players. The Department's Olympic Games Unit is also working very closely with the London Development Agency (LDA) in support of the 2012 Olympic Bid, and earlier this year met with representatives of all nine RDAs to discuss the implications across the country of staging the Games. The Department and Sport England continue to work closely with the LDA on monitoring the construction of the new National Stadium at Wembley.

Summer Activities (Young People)

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on her Department's funded programme of summer activities for young people.

Estelle Morris: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is working with other Government Departments and agencies to deliver the Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP) programme during all school holidays, including half-term breaks. The programme builds on the success of last year's Splash Extra and Summer Plus schemes and aims to reduce youth offending, encourage children and young people to return to education or training and build community cohesion.
	PAYP engages young people through arts, sports and educational activities. It is targeted at those young people most at risk of offending or truancy and areas where community cohesion or street crime is identified as being a particular problem.
	It will run for an initial period of three years and is funded by the Department for Education and Skills, the Home Office and by the National Lottery through the New Opportunities Fund. The Youth Justice Board is making an in-kind contribution. The funds available for the first year total £25 million and funding for years 2 and 3, to be confirmed shortly, will remain at least at this level. The programme is being delivered through the Government Offices for the Regions who in turn appoint sub-regional Lead Delivery Agents to plan provision according to local need. The most at risk young people receive key worker support to ensure continuity between school holiday periods.
	The programme ran in four locations in the Leeds North West constituency and provided a total number of 549 places on 126 activities.
	A full evaluation of the effectiveness of the year-round holiday provision is under way and key findings are expected to be available around May 2004. In the meantime initial feedback from the summer and half term programmes—which is still being collated—suggests a high level of take-up of the schemes over these periods and promising associated benefits.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces (Pay)

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether all personnel have received their pay on time during the last six months; what irregularities have been reported; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: 51 RAF trainees experienced a delay in receiving their monthly salary for October 2003. This was caused by an oversight in creating an officer's computer pay record for each of the personnel affected. These records have now been created, and the personnel affected paid.
	No other delays affecting significant numbers have been reported during the last six months, and over 99.9 per cent. of electronic monthly payments to personnel have been made on time. Inevitably, however, given the size of our armed forces, isolated cases of delays due to administrative errors can occur.

Arms Fairs

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to support arms fairs.

Adam Ingram: The support given by the Ministry of Defence to defence exhibitions at home and overseas will continue in accordance with the Government's policy of assisting the United Kingdom defence industry in its aim to achieve legitimate exports.

Campaign Medals

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when Servicemen and women who served in Afghanistan in 2001–02 will be given their campaign medals.

Ivor Caplin: Service in Afghanistan on Operation Veritas from 11 September 2001 to a date to be announced has been recognised by the institution of the Operational Service Medal. Command Paper Cm 5939, which contains the detailed qualifying criteria, was laid before Parliament on 8 September 2003 and a Defence Council Instruction was subsequently published on 31 October 2003. The issue of medals will commence upon receipt of applications from Service personnel.

Campaign Medals

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when Servicemen and women who served in Operation Telic in Iraq in 2003 will be given their campaign medals.

Ivor Caplin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 October 2003, Official Report, column 654W, to the hon. Member for Aldershot (Mr. Gerald Howarth). I can add that the detailed eligibility criteria have since been completed by the Department and passed to the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals for their approval. The work is progressing well.

Deepcut Barracks Inquiry

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures his Department has taken to implement each of the recommendations contained in Surrey Police's inquiry into the deaths at Deepcut Barracks; what the timeframe for implementation is; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Surrey Police have yet to produce their fifth and final report and the Ministry of Defence is therefore not aware of the detailed recommendations it will contain. However, the Army has worked closely with Surrey Police to develop a learning account to ensure that the key lessons arising from these tragic deaths are identified and swiftly acted upon. This learning account contains 28 recommendations. Of these recommendations, 25 have been implemented and the remaining three are well in hand.

Fissile Material

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much fissile material has been produced in each year from 1979 to date; and how much is presently held, broken down into material classified as (a) high level, (b) intermediate level and (c) low level material.

Adam Ingram: Since 1979, deliveries of fissile material, under Ministry of Defence production contracts, have been as follows (rounded to the nearest kilogram):
	
		
			  Kilogram 
		
		
			 198990 181 
			 199091 271 
			 199192 179 
			 199293 268 
			 199394 181 
			 199495 171 
			 199596 21 
		
	
	Fissile material is not classified in the categories requested, which are used to describe levels of radioactive waste. I am therefore unable to provide the information in the form requested.

HMS Trafalgar

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the expected commissioning date is of HMS Trafalgar; where the nuclear reactor Power Range Tests will be carried out prior to commissioning; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: HMS Trafalgar is currently undergoing a Revalidation Assisted Maintenance Period at Devonport. She has not been de-commissioned, and this work will not involve re-fuelling the reactor. There is therefore no requirement for Power Range Testing. HMS Trafalgar is expected to return to service early 2004.

Iraq

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) United Kingdom troops and (b) troops from the Territorial Army are serving in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: We currently have around 11,000 United Kingdom service personnel serving in Iraq, of which approximately 1,800 are members of the Territorial Army.

Iraq

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many packets have been sent to armed forces personnel stationed in the Gulf free of charge since the scheme was launched.

Adam Ingram: It is not possible to give the precise number of packets sent to members of Her Majesty's forces and entitled civilians on Operation Telic since the service was instituted on 17 April 2003, as numbers are calculated by sampling rather than counting of individual items. However, as at Friday 31 October 2003, we calculate that some 570,000 free packets have been sent.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 1 September, Official Report, column 905W, on Iraq, what the outcome was of the investigation; and if he will place a copy of the relevant communications log in the Library.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence is determined to do all we can to establish the facts, and to bring to account those responsible for the deaths of the six Royal Military Police soldiers killed so tragically in Iraq on 24 June. It would not be appropriate to comment while the SIB investigation is still ongoing and we cannot put a timeframe on how long the investigation might take. Once it has been completed a full report will be given to the families concerned. The next of kin are being kept informed of the investigation's progress. I will make public as many of its findings as possible, subject to operational and other security constraints.

Iraq

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how often he receives briefings from the Commander of British Forces in Iraq.

Geoff Hoon: I receive regular briefings on operations in Iraq, which include input from the Commander of British Forces in Iraq. These are supplemented with additional briefings where necessary.

Iraq

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of deaths of (a) Iraqi civilians and (b) Iraqi military personnel (i) during the recent conflict and (ii) since the formal cessation of hostilities.

Adam Ingram: I refer my hon. Friend to the answers given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 16 June 2003, Official Report, column 55W, to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) and the answer I gave to the hon. Member for East Carmarthen and Dinefwr (Adam Price) on 14 October 2003, Official Report, column 7W.

Kazakhstan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) other representatives of the Government have had with representatives of the Government of Kazakhstan concerning the (i) storage, (ii) disposal and (iii) security of ex-Soviet (A) biological and (B) chemical weapons located in Kazakhstan; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: We are not aware of any discussions with the Government of Kazakhstan concerning the storage, disposal, or security of possible ex-Soviet biological and chemical weapons located in Kazakhstan.
	Under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), a state is obliged to declare any chemical weapons (CW) on their territory. Kazakhstan is a state party to the CWC and has not declared any CW being located in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is not a state party to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.

Low Flying

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there was a low-flying field training exercise in October in the Severn Valley area.

Ivor Caplin: There were no major low-flying training exercises in the Severn Valley area during October. Any military aircraft sighted will probably have been undertaking routine military low-flying training.

Ministry of Defence Police

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the first statutory inspection of the Ministry of Defence Police by Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabularies, under the Police Reform Act 2002, will take place; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: The first statutory inspection of the Ministry of Defence Police by her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, under the Police Reform Act 2002, was conducted between June and October 2003. In common with other Home Department police forces, MDP underwent a baseline assessment of its core business areas. The draft assessment is expected in January 2004 and will be followed by a rolling programme of follow-up visits.

North Site (Malvern)

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his plans are for the future of North Site, Malvern.

Ivor Caplin: The site was handed to Defence Estates on 27 March this year and is being prepared for disposal on the open market.

Nuclear Warfare

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the United Kingdom (a) withdrew the last nuclear free-fall bomb, (b) reduced the operationally available stockpile of nuclear warheads to below 200, (c) reduced the number of warheads deployed on Trident submarines to 48 warheads and (d) placed fissile material no longer required for defence purposes under international safeguards.

Adam Ingram: The United Kingdom withdrew the last nuclear free-fall bomb in March 1998. We have made adjustments to ensure the operationally available stockpile of nuclear warheads has been below 200 since that policy was announced as part of the Strategic Defence Review in July 1998. We reduced the number of warheads deployed on Trident submarines to 48 warheads by December 1998. Since 1990, we have placed fissile material no longer required for defence purposes under international safeguards, with significant volumes of material being brought into safeguards in July and August 1998.

Nuclear Warfare

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what further actions his Department will pursue to implement the disarmament measures identified at the end of the 2000 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference.

Geoff Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 5 November 2003, Official Report, column 662W, to the right hon. and learned Member for North-East Fife (Mr. Campbell).

Purchasing Strategy

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to take into consideration (a) the social issues involving the employment of disabled people, (b) strategic issues regarding product development and (c) response times to crises, when determining his Department's purchasing strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The decision on the appropriate purchasing strategy for any procurement has to take into account a wide range of factors, underpinned by the need to provide the armed forces with the equipment they require at best value for money for the taxpayer. As set out in the Government's Defence Industrial Policy (published in October 2002), these factors include, amongst others, security of supply and the ability to respond in times of crises, and the implications for key technologies and industrial capabilities.
	Most contracts for the procurement of goods and services include an express condition of contract which encourages our prime contractors to give consideration to the placing of sub-contract work with Supported Employment Enterprises.

Purchasing Strategy

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors underlay the decision to change the purchasing strategy of chemical and biological warfare protection suits by changing the tender from UK only to international sourcing; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: There has been no change in the Ministry of Defence's purchasing strategy for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) warfare protection suits with regard to the tendering process. These items are classed as warlike stores and as such are exempt from the requirement to advertise in the European Journal (OJEC). The Department advertises its requirements for these items in the MOD Contracts Bulletin. Any company may respond and the Department will run a competition to ensure that its requirements are met in the most cost-effective way.
	The procurement of CBRN suits is included in the Defence Logistic Organisation's procurement reform strategy, for Supplier Base Optimisation, which is still under review.

Regiments

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the (a) Queen's Lancashire Regiment and (b) King's Regiment.

Adam Ingram: There are no plans to disband the Queen's Lancashire Regiment or the King's Regiment.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

September Sittings

Ben Chapman: To ask the Leader of the House what representations he has received about the September sitting of the House.

Peter Hain: A number of Members have raised with me their view on September sittingsboth for and againstby raising it in the Chamber, at business questions and questions to the Leader of the House, and in private discussion. I have had one letter from an hon. Member on the subject, in favour of the change. I have received representations from two outside organisations on the dates of the September sittings.
	In my view, the September sitting was successful in conducting important business and in allowing the Prime Minister and other Members of the Cabinet to be questioned and challenged on key issues such as Iraq for which there might otherwise have been demands for a recall of the House.

Sitting Hours

Ben Chapman: To ask the Leader of the House what recent representations he has received about the sitting hours of the House.

Peter Hain: A number of Members have raised with me their view on the sitting hoursboth for and against the changeby raising it in the Chamber, at business questions and questions to the Leader of the House, by letter and in private discussion; and I am aware of early-day motions on the subject. I have had no representations from outside Parliament in favour of the House reverting to its former hours. The House has agreed the change for the remainder of this Parliament and will need to review the matter before then.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Call Centres

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether his Department plans to outsource call centre work to premises outside the United Kingdom.

Ian Pearson: Northern Ireland Departments and the NIO have no plans to outsource call centre work to premises outside the United Kingdom.

Terrorism

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his assessment is of the current terrorist threat level in Northern Ireland.

Jane Kennedy: Recent activity by dissident republicans and loyalists shows that they still pose a threat to the peace process. However, the security forces continue to disrupt, intercept or thwart their operations through good intelligence-led policing and covert operations.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Bailiffs

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many complaints have been made in each year since 1997 concerning the conduct of bailiffs; how many complaints have been investigated; how many complaints have resulted in a prosecution; how many convictions there were concerning the conduct of bailiffs; and if he will publish a list of banned bailiffs.

Christopher Leslie: I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

Divorced Parents

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to his answer of 22 October 2003, Official Report, column 631W, on divorced parents, if he will commission research on the impact upon children of one divorced parent being given leave to remove their children from the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: There are no plans to commission such research. Applications to remove children from the jurisdiction (of England and Wales) are made under Section 13(1)(b) of the Children Act 1989. The Section stipulates that where a residence order made under the Act is in force with respect to a child, no person may
	remove him from the United Kingdom; without either the written consent of every person who has parental responsibility for the child or the leave of the court.
	However, to take a child out of the country either parent requires the written or oral consent of the other parent, even if it is for less than one month. Where there is a residence order in place, the parent in whose favour the residence order is made may remove or send the child outside the UK for up to one month, provided there are no other court orders in place, e.g. a prohibited steps order. When making a residence order, the court may grant the necessary leave to remove the child either generally or for specific purpose.

Divorced Parents

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to his answer of 22 October 2003, Official Report, column 631W, on divorced parents, if he will estimate the percentage of cases in which divorced mothers are successful in obtaining leave to remove their children from the United Kingdom.

David Lammy: We do not have the data available to enable such an estimate to be made. Figures are kept of the total number of orders made under section 13 of the Children Act 1989 for removal from the jurisdiction since 2000 (when figures were first collected). Separate figures are not held for mothers and fathers.

Forfeiture/Security of Tenure Inquiry

David Lepper: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the scope of the inquiry by the Law Commission into forfeiture and security of tenure; and when he expects the inquiry to be completed.

David Lammy: The Law Commission is carrying out two reviews dealing with forfeiture and tenancy issues:
	(1) The 'Termination of Tenancies' review addresses the whole law of forfeiture including the right of landlords to terminate a tenancy by physical re-entry. The Commission hopes to complete a consultation paper this year. A report will be published later.
	(2) The 'Housing in the Rented Sector' review considers the legal basis of landlord and tenant relationships, in particular, the form of tenancies offered by local authorities, other social landlords, and by private landlords. A report will be published on 5 November followed by a further report and draft Bill next year.

Legal Representation (Deaths in Custody)

Chris Ruane: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if the Secretary of State will make funding available for legal representation of families whose children have died in custody.

David Lammy: An applicant who is a member of the deceased's immediate family may obtain public funding for representation at an inquest, where the deceased has died in custody, if:
	(i) the applicant satisfies the standard financial eligibility tests, and
	(ii) legal representation is necessary to assist the coroner to investigate the case effectively.

Ministerial Meetings

Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many meetings (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have held with (i) Lord Bingham, (ii) Lord Woolf and (iii) Lord Irvine since he took office.

David Lammy: Since taking office the Secretary of State has had three meetings with Lord Bingham and five meetings with Lord Woolf. He has not met with Lord Irvine.
	I have had one meeting with Lord Woolf, Christopher Leslie has met him twice and Lord Pilkin has met with him once. Don Touhig and Anne Maguire have not met with Lord Woolf.
	None of the Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State has met with Lord Bingham or Lord Irvine.

Petitions

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many (a) company winding-up petitions, (b) creditors' petitions, (c) debtors' petitions and (d) insolvency petitions were issued per quarter in each year since 1997, broken down by (i) county court, (ii) county and (iii) region.

Christopher Leslie: A copy of the figures requested has been placed in the Library of both Houses.

Public Information

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what requirements there are that changes in Government regulations and orders should be made publicly available before they come into force.

Douglas Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
	The arrangements for production of all new regulations and orders are governed by the Statutory Instruments Act 1946 and the Statutory Instruments Regulations 1947. The Cabinet Office issues guidance to Departments in the form of the Statutory Instrument Practice manual (SIP), which can be downloaded from HMSOnline at: http://www.hmso.gov.uk/services/si practice.htm
	The guidance in SIP sets out that the date chosen for the coming into force of new regulations and orders should take into account the production time for printing and publication. Where an instrument creates a new offence, Departments need to ensure that the instrument is issued in good time allowing the public to study the instrument before it comes into force.
	All new instruments issued each day can be accessed on HMSOnline at: http://www.hmso.gov.uk/legislation/whatsnew.htm and in the Statutory Instruments Issue List, which is published as part of The Stationery Office (TSO) Daily List of Publications. It is good practice for Departments to ensure publicity for all new instruments before they come into force.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Antisocial Behaviour

Clive Efford: To ask the Solicitor-General what steps she has taken to ensure that the Crown Prosecution Service uses powers available under the Police Reform Act 2002 when dealing with cases of antisocial behaviour.

Harriet Harman: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has issued guidance on the procedures to be followed in cases when it is appropriate to remind a court of its power to make an order on conviction in criminal proceedings pursuant to section 1C of the Crime and Disorder Act 1988, as amended by the Police Reform Act 2002.
	In appropriate cases, the prosecutor will remind the court of its power to make an order on conviction and will draw the court's attention to the facts of the case that are relevant to the making of an order, together with details of any relevant previous convictions.
	The Anti-Social Behaviour Bill seeks to provide the CPS with express power to apply for orders on conviction and to call additional evidence to be led at a contested hearing of an order on conviction, which need not be restricted or linked to the criminal case before court. The CPS will issue further guidance and training to reflect these changes.

Antisocial Behaviour

Clive Efford: To ask the Solicitor-General what action she has taken to ensure that the Crown Prosecution Service co-operates with (a) local authorities and (b) police forces to deal with cases of antisocial behaviour.

Harriet Harman: The Crown Prosecution Service has assembled a project team to deal with issues arising from the Anti-Social Behaviour Bill. The aims of the project are: firstly, to develop national guidance with the police dealing with the evidence required to pursue an order on conviction and the type of conditions to be sought; and secondly, to develop local protocols with the police and local authorities as to when it will be appropriate for each agency to take the lead in dealing with applications for orders and prosecuting breaches.
	The Home Office Anti-Social Behaviour Unit has agreed to fund a network of 10 to 12 local anti-social behaviour prosecutors within the Crown Prosecution Service. These local experts will engage with the local community and will work with a central project team to issue guidance. They will assist in developing protocols with local agencies, encourage the use of orders on conviction and coordinate local training.

Antisocial Behaviour

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Solicitor-General how many anti-social behaviour prosecutors will join the Crown Prosecution Service; and what their powers will be.

Harriet Harman: The Home Office Anti-Social Behaviour Unit has agreed to fund a network of 10 to 12 local antisocial behaviour prosecutors with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). These local experts will engage with the local community and will work with a central team to issue guidance, develop protocols and provide training across the CPS.
	The prosecutors will be deployed in areas where a high level of antisocial behaviour orders are sought, although they will be expected to share good practice across the CPS. They will: prosecute antisocial behaviour and low-level disorder offences; establish good links with local communities and agencies; encourage the use of orders on conviction; and coordinate local training.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Lord Chancellor intends to reply to the letter to him dated 21 October from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. C. Whitehurst.

Rosie Winterton: The Lord Chancellor replied to the right hon. Member's letter on 4 December. I apologise to the right hon. Member for the delay in responding to his letter. This was due to an administrative error, and officials have reviewed procedures for handling correspondence as a result.

Family Proceedings Rules Committee

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if the Lord Chancellor will place the schedule of meetings of the Family Proceedings Rules Committee for the next six months in the Library.

Rosie Winterton: The Family Proceedings Rule Committee has no statutory obligation to meet to conduct its business. Drafts of Family Proceedings Rules are circulated to Members for comments and, when they are content, for signature.

HEALTH

Genetically Modified Food

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been (a) commissioned and (b) published on post-marketing monitoring of the safety of GM food for people and GM feed for animals.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 3 November 2003
	The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has funded a feasibility study on the post-market monitoring of genetically modified (GM) foods. The report from this study was published on the FSA website on 23 July 2003. No research has been commissioned on the post-market monitoring of GM animal feed.

Accidental Injury

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve the local surveillance of accidental injury.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 30 October 2003
	The South West Public Health Observatory is working on a pilot basis with the national health service-wide clearing service to run quarterly extracts of specific variables from the accident and emergency minimum data set in the South West. There are currently problems with the quality of the data, and with the level of participation by individual trusts. If these problems can be resolved, it may be possible to replicate the system in other regions.

Breast Cancer (Northumberland)

Ronnie Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average period between screening for breast cancer and notification of the result of the screening was in the Northumberland strategic health authority area for the latest three-month period for which figures are available.

Melanie Johnson: This information is not collected centrally.

Cancer Services

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evaluation of improvements to cancer services in the NHS he has commissioned.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 27 October 2003
	A National Cancer Patient Survey took place in 2001. Over 65,000 cancer patients discharged between July 1999 and June 2000 responded. The outcome of the survey was published in July 2002 and is available at: http://www.doh.gov.uk/nhspatients/cancersurvey. It provides a baseline measurement of cancer patients' experience of care in the national health service against which improvements can be monitored. The results of the survey were shared with, among others, cancer networks and NHS trusts who should have studied their local results and taken action to respond to them. Responsibility for the national survey programme, and therefore repeating this survey, has now moved to the Commission for Health Improvement.
	A Manual of Cancer Services Standards was published in February 2001 against which cancer networks in England can assess the quality of services they are providing. A process of peer review took place in 2001 to assess compliance with these standards. A second round of peer review will commence in summer 2004.
	The NHS Cancer PlanThree-year progress report: Maintaining the Momentum available at www.doh. ov.uk/cancer/progressreport2003 was published on 28 October 2003. It describes overall progress on implementation of the NHS Cancer Plan.

Chorley and South Ribble Hospital

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been treated at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital accident and emergency in the last 12 months; how many people from Chorley have been taken to Royal Preston Hospital accident and emergency; and how many patients waited longer than four hours for treatment at (a) Chorley and (b) Preston hospitals.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested is not available.

Disabled People (Assistance)

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what non-financial assistance is available to families with disabled (a) adults and (b) children.

Stephen Ladyman: All disabled people have full access to national health service primary, secondary and tertiary health care services. Disabled people have the right to receive an assessment of their care needs by their local social services department. Those eligible, according to local criteria, may receive a wide range of services to meet their need, provided as a package of support by social services and/or the health service.
	Services available include:
	Advice, guidance and counselling;
	Home care and home help;
	Equipment and adaptations to use at home;
	Day time opportunities/day centres providing facilities for recreation and training for independent living skills;
	Day care, covering day nurseries, registered childminders and part-time playgroups respite care provision, either in peoples own homes or elsewhere;
	Nursing and medical support.
	In addition, people may receive direct payments, which are cash payments in lieu of social services, giving individuals greater choice and control over how their support needs are metallowing people to buy their own package of care.

Domestic Accidents

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with (a) other Government Departments, (b) local authorities and (c) other agencies to establish a co-ordinated approach to preventing accidents in the home.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 30 October 2003
	Other Government Departments, local authorities, and other agencies were represented on the Accidental Injury Task Force, whose report was published in October 2002. Subsequent discussions with Government Departments and with regional directors of public health have shown that better co-ordination will depend on integrating injury prevention into broader programmes on the needs of children and older people, with particular emphasis on health inequalities.
	This is now being pursued in implementing the older peoples' national service framework (NSF), in preparing the remainder of the NSF for children, and in contributing to cross-Government policy proposals for these groups, for example in the Ministerial Sub-Committee on Older People.

Family Planning Clinics

John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has (a) to develop family planning clinics and (b) for the development of a career structure for family planning doctors.

Melanie Johnson: A stated aim of the National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV is to reduce levels of unintended pregnancies, and the provision of good quality contraception services will play a major role in achieving this aim. Contraceptive services should be available through a range of settings including general practice and specialist care settings, and the Department has issued guidance on good practice in commissioning those services, as well as providing additional investment of 1 million this year to improve access. The Department has also convened a group of experts, including representatives from the Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Healthcare, the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Family Planning Association, to define and implement a work-plan to support the improvement of contraception services at primary care trust level. This group will also work with the Faculty of Family Planning to consider issues of staffing and career development.

Fluoridation

Si�n Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice the Chief Medical Officer has given on the potential effects of fluoridated drinking water for a patient diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.

Melanie Johnson: The Department is not aware of any evidence that the effects of fluoridated drinking water differ between people with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Food Supplements Directive

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the outcome of the recent meeting between the Food Standards Agency and the European Food Safety Authority to discuss difficulties anticipated by industry in preparing dossiers of information to support the inclusion of substances on the lists of nutrients and nutrient sources appended to the Food Supplements Directive; and what plans the Food Standards Agency has to continue that dialogue.

Melanie Johnson: On 14 October, representatives from food supplement industry trade associations met with representatives of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to discuss requirements for dossiers supporting addition of nutrient sources to the lists appended to the Food Supplements Directive. The meeting was constructive. EFSA representatives indicated that applicants should submit data establishing the identity and purity of the nutrient source, and any available safety data. EFSA would then advise whether further data were required, taking into account similarities with substances which have already been approved either as nutrient sources or as additives. This, together with advice that combined dossiers for similar substances are welcome, means that dossier preparation costs for many of the 'missing' substances will be significantly lower than previously estimated. The Food Standards Agency is writing to inform interested parties of the outcome and will continue to liaise with EFSA and European Commission representatives on this issue.

Gene Transfer

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what published research involving humans he has assessed which examines the potential for horizontal gene transfer from GM bacteria to gut bacteria; how many people were involved in the experiments; what evidence of gene transfer was identified; and what research he has commissioned on this subject.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 4 November 2003
	The Department of Health has not commissioned any research that looks at horizontal gene transfer from genetically modified (GM) bacteria to gut bacteria. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) however has published research on the use of human volunteers to examine the potential for horizontal gene transfer from GM food to gut bacteria. Seven people were involved in the study. No intact DNA was shown to be transferred to intestinal tract bacteria. The current state of knowledge regarding gene transfer was reviewed in the GM science review. This concluded that transgenic DNA is no different from other DNA consumed as part of the normal diet and it will have a similar fate. The science review is available in the Library.
	Applications to use oral GM bacteria are assessed on a case by case basis by either the Health and Safety Executive (under the Contained Use Regulations), or by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (under the Deliberate Release Regulations). Each application involving the use of GM bacteria is comprehensively evaluated with regard to safety, including gene transfer.

Genetics Research

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list (a) the organisations which have applied for the special research funding announced in the Government's White Paper on Genetics, (b) the value of each bid and (c) the single gene disorders related to each bid.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 4 November 2003
	Bids are treated in strict confidence and the information requested cannot be given. The specific clinical conditions to be addressed through the funding for both pharmacogenetic research and research into gene therapy for single gene disorders will depend on what bids are submitted by the research community and how the individual bids stand up to rigorous assessment through peer review. Details of grants awarded will be added to the national research register at www.doh.gov.uk/research/nrr.htm.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many genito-urinary management clinics there are in (a) Chesham and Amersham and (b) Buckinghamshire.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer on 5 November 2003
	There are three genito-urinary management (GUM) clinics in Buckinghamshire; at Milton Keynes, Aylesbury and Wycombe. There are no GUM clinics in Chesham and Amersham.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the number of genito-urinary management clinics in England.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 5 November 2003
	The Department of Health is working to improve access to genito urinary medicine (GUM) services. Primary care trusts should ensure that local GUM services are designed to meet local needs. The Department of Health is supporting them in this role through the provision of additional investment to 'pump-prime' GUM services and address long-waiting times and backlogs in those areas where it is most needed.
	13 million was invested in GUM services in 200304 and over 6 million in 200203, with additional funding of 5 million announced this year in our response to the Health Select Committee's report on sexual health. To support those areas with little or no GUM services, or where services are struggling to cope with demand, a further 2 million in 200304 will be used to establish a small number of development schemes to pump-prime the establishment of new services or further develop those already in existence.
	The Department of Health is also continuing to work to increase the role of primary care in the provision of sexual health services which will help to relieve the pressure on GUM services.
	The Department of Health is also continuing to work to increase the role of primary care in the provision of sexual health services which will help to relieve the pressure on GUM services.

Head Lice

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what research evidence he has collated on the (a) incidence and (b) spread of head lice in schools; and what advice he offers head teachers to deal with the problem;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Department for Education and Skills on strategies to eliminate head lice in schools.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department's policy research programme and the central national health service research and development programmes are not currently supporting research into this subject, due to the pressure of other priorities. The Medical Research Council (MRC), which is funded by the Office of Science and Technology, commissions most of the Government's research into bio-medical and clinical issues. The MRC is always open to new sound scientific proposals, in competition with other applications.
	Head lice infestation is a relatively common problem among school age children, which is dealt with at local level. Our policy, which is shared by the Department for Education and Skills, is to encourage a whole school approach to the detection and treatment of head lice. This entails encouraging parents to check their children and other family members for head lice as need arises, and arranging treatment where necessary with such advice and support from the local primary health care team (general practitioner, health visitor, school nurse or local pharmacist) as they may require. If this exercise is successfully undertaken at the same time by all parents of children within a school, then the spread of head lice will be arrested.
	This Department is in regular contact with the Department for Education and Skills on a range of health issues relating to pupils' health, including the treatment of head lice. Officials from both Departments provide advice to schools and parents on head lice control, including a leaflet containing guidance on prevention and treatment. This is also available on the Department's website at: http://www.doh.gov.uk/headlice/ including translations in 10 languages.

Health Care (York)

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what NHS expenditure (a) in cash terms and (b) at current prices on services provided by GP surgeries, other than NHS prescription items, was in York in each year since 1992.

Melanie Johnson: Information for York is not available. The table shows information for the nearest geographical match to York.
	
		North Yorkshire expenditure on services provided by GP surgeries for each year -- 000
		
			  Cash terms Current prices 
		
		
			 199293 37,254 47,836 
			 199394 37,422 46,604 
			 199495 38,293 47,167 
			 199596 39,029 46,551 
			 199697 38,189 44,214 
			 199798 40,629 45,611 
			 199899 41,450 45,297 
			 19992000 39,544 42,431 
			 200001 40,612 42,839 
			 200102 48,240 49,615 
		
	
	Sources:
	1. North Yorkshire Family Health Services Authority audited annual accounts 199293 to 199596.
	2. North Yorkshire Health Authority audited annual accounts 199697 to 199899.
	3. North Yorkshire Health Authority audited summarisation forms 19992000 to 200102.
	4. Selby and York Primary Care Trust audited summarisation schedules 200102.
	5. HM Treasury GDP Deflator.

Health Care (York)

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what capital investment (a) in cash terms and (b) at current prices has been at York District Hospital in each year since 1992.

Melanie Johnson: The requested information is shown in the table.
	
		York Hospitals NHS Trust: Net Book Value of Purchased Capital Additions for each year -- 000
		
			  Cash terms Current prices 
		
		
			 199293 5,791 7,436 
			 199394 6,028 7,507 
			 199495 7,456 9,184 
			 199596 8,841 10,545 
			 199697 2,708 3,135 
			 199798 1,457 1,636 
			 199899 3,185 3,481 
			 19992000 2,778 2,981 
			 200001 6,571 6,931 
			 200102 4,159 4,278 
		
	
	Source:
	York Hospitals NHS Trust: Net Book Value of Purchased Capital Additions for each year.

Health Care (York)

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses were in training at York nursing school in each year since 1992.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Pre-registration nurses at the School of Nursing, York University
		
			 At 1 April Number 
		
		
			 1992(4) 357 
			 1993(4) 319 
			 1994 554 
			 1995 488 
			 1996 380 
			 1997 397 
			 1998 425 
			 1999 491 
			 2000 544 
			 2001 596 
			 2002 638 
			 2003 637 
		
	
	(4) Figures for 1992 and 1993 relate to York and Scarborough College of Nursing only, as Harrogate and Northallerton School of Nursing was a separate institution at this time.
	Source:
	University of York.

Health Care (York)

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made with implementing the National Service Framework for Older People in York.

Melanie Johnson: Selby and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) submitted a report on progress towards the milestones set out in the national service framework to its older people's partnership board in September 2003. This report shows the work which has been done to bring about improvements for older people, to work in partnership across organisational boundaries and to ensure a sharp focus on the development of services that are person/patient-centred, joined-up, timely and active in promoting health in older age. A full copy of the report is available from Selby and York PCT.

Health Care (York)

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when digital hearing aids will be offered to NHS patients in York.

Melanie Johnson: York Hospitals National Health Service Trust will begin fitting digital hearing aids as part of the modernised hearing aid service by March 2004.

Health Services (North-West)

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent in the NHS in the North West since 1992.

Melanie Johnson: Expenditure in the area covered by the former North West Regional Office and the North West Regional Health Authority areas since 199293 is shown in the table.
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 199293 3,848 
			 199394 4,047 
			 199495 4,383 
			 199596 4,564 
			 199697 4,427 
			 199798 4,290 
			 199899 4,712 
			 19992000 5,497 
			 200001 5,996 
			 200102 6,348 
			 200203 7,510 
			 Total 55,622 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The figures are based on the North West Regional Office area as in 200102, taking into consideration boundary changes over the period.
	2. Figures do not include NHS expenditure, which is not accounted for by the health authorities, eg General Dental Services.
	3. Figures are not consistent between years as there have been considerable changes in the types of expenditure accounted for by health authorities in different years, eg prescribing expenditure.
	4. All figures are cash based.
	Sources:
	199293 to 199596 audited accounts of Family Health Services Authorities
	199293 to 199596 audited accounts of District and Regional Health Authorities
	199697 to 199899 audited accounts of Health Authorities
	19992000 to 200102 audited summarisation forms of Health Authorities
	200203 audited summarisation forms of Strategic Health Authorities
	200001 to 200203 audited summarisation schedules of Primary Care Trusts

Mental Health

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the long-term savings to the NHS that might be achieved by the provision of free prescriptions for people with long-term mental health problems.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has not made an assessment of the long-term savings to the national health service of providing free prescriptions for people with mental health problems.
	Our policy is to help those who may have difficulty in paying prescription charges, rather than extending the exemption arrangements. By using a prescription prepayment certificate, no one need pay more than 32.90 for four months or 90.40 for 12 months, for all the NHS medication that they are prescribed.

Nurses

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provisions in the Statutory Instrument on Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Rules Approval, SI No. 873, 1983, are still in force.

John Hutton: holding answer 4 November 2003
	The provisions made in these rules (now operated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council) remain effective. These remain in force by virtue of schedule 2 of the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (S.I. 2002/253).

Paediatric Services

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to ensure that drug treatments currently licensed for adults are evaluated and made available for paediatric use.

Melanie Johnson: The current legislative framework governing the authorisation of medicinal products contains neither obligations nor incentives to either evaluate medicinal products for use in the paediatric population or to make the products available for paediatric use. The United Kingdom is taking an active part in developing European legislation which will establish a system of obligations and incentives for the development and evaluation of medicines for paediatrics use. This is, however, unlikely to be finalised before 2006.
	In the meantime, the UK will continue to use the existing regulatory framework to encourage the pharmaceutical industry to evaluate medicines for use in the paediatric population. The Committee on Safety of Medicines, an independent expert committee that advises the Licensing Authority has established a paediatric sub-group to provide expert advice on the regulatory strategy to improve the availability of medicines licensed for use in children.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) routinely asks companies for paediatric development plans where appropriate, both pre- and post-licensing. In addition, when a marketing authorisation for a medicinal product is granted or amended the pharmaceutical companies are required by the Licensing Authority to provide evidence-based statements on paediatric use in the summary of product characteristics. The MHRA monitors authorisations granted for the paediatric use of medicines in the United States and contacts the marketing authorisation holder with a request for the data to be submitted to the MHRA for assessment. Several companies have submitted data in response to such requests and UK authorisations for paediatric use have been granted as a result. In other cases, the MHRA has asked companies to consider developing formulations of medicinal products that are specifically adapted for paediatric use. Following positive responses, the MHRA is actively discussing formulation development plans with several companies.
	The MHRA is keeping the UK pharmaceutical industry informed of legislative developments at the European level and has offered to give regulatory and scientific advice on the development of medicines for paediatric use.

Palliative Care

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will list those hospices that have received funds from the money which was earmarked for palliative care in the NHS Cancer Plan in 200304; and how much of the money has been retained by NHS trusts;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the grounds on which funds from the NHS Cancer Plan for palliative care are allocated to hospices.

Melanie Johnson: We do not hold a centralised list of those hospices that have received funding from the additional 50 million for specialist palliative care, the allocation of which was recently announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health. This additional money is for specialist palliative care services in their entirety, and not for voluntary hospices alone. The overall level of funding for hospices, both from allocation to cancer networks from the 50 million and from local resources, is a matter for local discussion and agreement.
	The National Partnership Group for palliative care (NPG) which is made up of representatives from the voluntary sector (including hospices), the national health service and the Department, set out clear criteria for the use of the funding, which included evidence of local consultation and partnership working between all stakeholders in deciding how the additional funding should be invested.

Polymer Fume Fever

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has collated on a possible relationship between the creation of toxins from the heating of Teflon-coated pans and the onset of polymer fever in humans; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: 'Polymer fume fever' is a term applied to an influenza-like illness associated with the inhalation of products resulting from heating polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, marketed under the trade name Teflon) and other fluorocarbon polymers, to temperatures of about 300450 degrees centigrade. These temperatures are well above those involved in cooking food in non-stick pans. Polymer fume fever is usually a mild and self limiting condition. Almost all reports of this condition relate to occupational exposure. Although the temperatures needed could arise from the misuse of non-stick pans, this does not appear to be a significant problem in practice. There is only one case report in the published literature which attributed these symptoms to exposure to fumes from an unattended cooking pan which overheated (Blandford et al. A case of PTFE poisoning in cockatiels accompanied by polymer fume fever in the owner. Vet Record v.96 1756 (1975)).

Prescription Charges

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is in respect of prescription charges for those who suffer long-term mental illness.

Rosie Winterton: Improving services for people with mental health problems is a priority for the Government. Our policy is to help those who may have difficulty in paying prescription charges, rather than extending the exemption arrangements. By using a prescription prepayment certificate, no one need pay more than 32.90 for four months or 90.40 for 12 months for all the national health service medication that they are prescribed.

Prescription Charges

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on (i) the way that different groups are treated when considered for exemptions from prescription charges and (ii) whether charges deter people from having their prescription dispensed; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: No research has been commissioned or evaluated on these matters.
	Our policy is to give priority to helping people who may have difficulty in paying charges, rather than extending the exemption arrangements. The number of prescription items dispensed continues to rise, and the balance between chargeable and free prescriptions has not changed significantly in recent years. We have no plans to change the current charging arrangements.

Prescription Charges

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to abolish prescription charges by 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Prescription charges provide a valuable contribution to national health service resources. We have no plans to abolish prescription charges.

Prescription Charges

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) four month and (b) 12 month prescription prepayment certificates were issued in each of the last four years.

Rosie Winterton: The available information is shown in the table.
	
		Estimated number of Pre-Payment Certificates (PPCs) issued in England in the last four years
		
			  PPC 4 month PPC 12 month Total number of PPCs  
		
		
			 19992000 550,000 330,000 880,000 
			 200001 580,000 370,000 950,000 
			 200102 610,000 420,000 1,020,000 
			 200203 640,000 480,000 1,110,000 
		
	
	Note:
	The figures above are estimates compiled from Health Authority returns until September 2002. From October 2002 the Prescription Pricing Authority has been responsible for issuing pre-payment certificates and has provided the data. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10,000.

Private Patients

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much private patient bad debt was written off by NHS trusts in each of the last five years.

John Hutton: holding answer 3 November 2003
	National health service trusts in England (excluding strategic health authorities and primary care trusts) wrote off the following amounts annually for bad debts and abandoned claims over the past four years:
	1998991,554,000
	199920001,999,000
	2000012,133,000
	2001021,445,000
	A provisional estimate for the current financial year (200203) is 1,941,000.

Residential Care

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government that persons residing in residential nursing homes whose conditions deteriorate so that they require constant medical attention should have their costs borne by the national health service; and what procedures exist to make such assessments.

Stephen Ladyman: Any individual with a need for health care, which meets criteria for national health service continuing care, will have the costs borne by the NHS, regardless of where they reside. The Government's intention that the NHS should identify these individuals is reflected in proposed directions to the NHS re-emphasising the need to carry out appropriate continuing care assessments wherever it appears that there is a need for such services. All such assessments are informed by the single assessment process.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the health authorities in England providing funding for anti-TNF therapy for people with rheumatoid arthritis; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: Information is not held centrally on which primary care trusts are prescribing these drugs. The use of anti-TNF drugs in the community is negligible, but they are used extensively in hospitals. When the National Institute for Clinical Excellence issued guidance on these drugs in March 2002, they recommended that consultant rheumatologists, or consultant paediatric rheumatologists in the case of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, should prescribe them. Information is not held centrally about drugs prescribed and dispensed in hospitals.
	Information is available on the number of prescription items of drugs that are dispensed in the community in England. Details of these anti-TNF drugs (contained in the British National Formulary paragraph 10.1.3) are included in the Prescription Cost Analysis publication, which can be accessed at www.doh.gov.uk/prescriptionstatistics/index.htm.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department is doing (a) to reduce the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases among young people and (b) to discourage young people from embarking on early sexual relationships.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 5 November 2003
	The Government's National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV (2001), which recognises that young people are one of the groups disproportionately affected by poor sexual health, aims to reduce the transmission of all sexually transmitted infections.
	The implementation of the strategy includes specific actions targeting young people, for example, the launch last year of a national safer sex campaign, 'The Sex Lottery', for young adults to raise awareness of sexual health and promote safer sex, and initiatives within the national chlamydia screening programme to increase rates of diagnoses and treatment of chlamydia amongst young peoplethe group most affected by this disease.
	The Government's Teenage Pregnancy Strategy (1999) encompasses a multi-faceted approach to help young people resist peer pressure to have early sex, improve sex and relationship education, increase access to effective contraception and sexual health services and support parents in talking to their children about sex and relationship issues.

Smoking-related Deaths

Gerry Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have died from (a) smoking-related and (b) secondary smoking-related diseases in each of the last five years.

Melanie Johnson: Information is not available in the form requested. The Health Education Authority 1998 report, The UK Smoking Epidemic: Deaths in 1995, estimated that in the United Kingdom in 1995 smoking caused more than 120,000 deaths of people aged 35 years or more. A copy of this report is available in the Library.
	The independent Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health concluded in its 1998 report that, exposure to environmental smoke is a cause of lung cancer and, in those with long-term exposure, the increased risk is in the order of 20 to 30 per cent.. The committee repeated the explanation of this risk set out earlier in its fourth report that a 20 to 30 per cent. increased risk in exposed non-smokers would be a rate of 12 to 13 per 100,000 per year. Thus we would expect an additional 2 to 3 lung cancer cases a year per 100,000 non-smokers regularly exposed to environmental tobacco smoke. The numbers of people so exposed are not known precisely. A copy of this report is also available in the Library.

Social Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of qualified social workers who are not working (a) for social services departments and (b) in social care.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department has not made such estimates.

Student Nurses

Colin Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many student nurses left their courses before qualifying (a) in 2002 and (b) in 2003 to date.

John Hutton: holding answer 4 November 2003
	The information requested is not collected centrally.

Student Nurses

Colin Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he will take to improve the bursaries available to student nurses.

John Hutton: holding answer 4 November 2003
	National health service bursary rates across all professions are considered each year and have been uplifted annually since 1998, including an increase of 10.4 per cent. (well ahead of inflation) in 2001.
	The Department has made a number of other improvements to the NHS bursary scheme, including extension of eligibility for disabled students' allowances and hardship support to diploma level students, and more help with the costs of travel and accommodation. The Government have also committed to introduce help with the costs of child care from 2004.
	My ministerial colleagues and I continue to keep NHS-funded student support arrangements under review in order to ensure that they continue to meet our objectives for the service.

Vitamin Supplements

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce Vitamin D supplements free to vulnerable children.

Melanie Johnson: The Welfare Food Scheme provides vitamin supplements containing vitamins A, C and D, free of charge, to low income families. All children at risk of Vitamin D deficiency also may be prescribed Vitamin D supplements.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Council Tax

Mr. Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the (a) average and (b) average band D council tax was in the London borough of Greenwich in each year since 1997.

Nick Raynsford: The information requested is tabled as follows:
	
		
		
			  Area Band D council tax for 2 adults Average council tax per dwelling 
		
		
			 199697 763 608 
			 199798 821 651 
			 199899 883 710 
			 19992000 883 711 
			 200001 883 710 
			 200102 911 734 
			 200203 954 774 
			 200304 1,088 883

Council Tax

Mr. Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average council tax was in (a) the North East, (b) the North West, (c) Yorkshire and the Humber, (d) the East Midlands, (e) the West Midlands and (f) the East of England in each financial year since 199596.

Nick Raynsford: The information currently available is tabled as follows. I will write to the hon. Member shortly to give average figures on this basis for 199596 to 199899.
	
		Average council tax per dwelling -- 
		
			  19992000 200001 200102 200203 200304 
		
		
			 North East 627 645 676 735 801 
			 North West 680 699 733 774 840 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 602 622 663 712 786 
			 East Midlands 640 672 713 784 859 
			 West Midlands 642 670 718 111 855 
			 East of England 674 714 762 842 970

Council Tax

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the gross income threshold is above which individuals are not eligible for council tax benefit.

Chris Pond: I have been asked to reply.
	There is no single income threshold which automatically denies entitlement to council tax benefit. The amount of income a person can receive before they lose entitlement to council tax benefit will be dependent on their personal circumstances, for example the size of their family, and the council tax level of the local authority area in which they live.

Housing (Older People)

Linda Perham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations on the planning of housing for elderly people he has received in the last 12 months from groups representing older people.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received various comments on the planning of housing for older people from groups representing or having an interest in older people's housing. These include responses to the recent publication for consultation of Influencing The Size, Type And Affordability of Housing, which set out proposed changes to the current policies on planning for affordable housing. The Housing and Older People Development Group, which advises the Department of Health and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, has also recently discussed the issue of planning of housing for older people.

Housing (Overcrowding)

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether directions have been made under Section 334 of the Housing Act 1985 to require information on overcrowding.

Keith Hill: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. As far as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is aware, the powers in section 334 of the Housing Act 1985 have not been used by local authorities or my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister in recent years. However, all local authorities have carried out assessments of the need for new affordable housing, to underpin their housing strategies. Part 7 of the Local Government Act 2003 puts these strategies on a statutory footing for the first time.

Local Authority Rent Collection

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many times each local authority has used an enforcement agency to collect arrears in each year since 1997; how much money was collected each year by enforcement agencies in each local authority; and if he will list the enforcement agencies used by each local authority.

Nick Raynsford: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Local Elections

John Pugh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many allegations of electoral fraud in postal voting for local elections in the North West Region have been (a) reported and (b) investigated in the last 10 years.

Nick Raynsford: Information on electoral fraud at elections is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost

Local Government Grant

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects local government to receive grant based on the Formula Spending Share formulae using 2001 Census data.

Nick Raynsford: Officials of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will continue discussing with local authority representatives how the 2001 Census data might be incorporated into the Formula Spending Shares. A decision will be made following these discussions on whether to use the 2001 Census data in the 200506 Formula Spending Shares.

Planning Appeals

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the reason is for reducing the time for planning appeals from six to three months; when it came into force; how many appeals it is expected to change; which appeals it applies to; and how many refusals there were on 5 September.

Keith Hill: The proposal to reduce the time allowed for an applicant to decide whether to lodge an appeal was one of many aimed at speeding up and improving the effectiveness of the planning system announced in the Green Paper Planning: Delivering a Fundamental Change, published in 2002. The amendment is not expected to change any planning appeals, only to speed up the planning process and prevent delays.
	The Amendment Order came into force on 5 September 2003 and reduces the time limit for receipt of section 78 appeals, as specified in article 23(2) of the Town  Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995. The reduced time limit also applies to an appeal made under section 78(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. The reduced time limit applies to applications received by the local planning authority on or after 5 September 2003.
	The decision on whether to allow a planning permission or not remains within the remit of a local planning authority and as such information on the number of applications refused on 5 September 2003 could be gathered only at disproportionate cost.

Private Office Costs

Howard Flight: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the running costs of Ministers' private offices have been in his Department in each year since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 7 May 2003, Official Report, column 771W.

Regional Housing Boards

David Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what arrangements are in place to ensure that there is sufficient expertise on rural housing on Regional Housing Boards;
	(2)  if he will list the membership of each Regional Housing Board, indicating which members have responsibility for rural housing.

Keith Hill: Regional Housing Boards have been formed specifically to include representatives able to act collectively and corporately on all housing issues in their regions, including the needs of rural areas. Each Board is chaired by the Regional Director of the Government Office, the most senior official in each region responsible for rural affairs. Others, particularly the senior representatives from the Housing Corporation, carry rural issues as part of their wider remits. There has also been significant input from rural local authorities and others with an interest in rural issues in development by the Boards of Regional Housing Strategies. The Communities Plan, which introduced the Boards, makes clear that the Countryside Agency must be involved to ensure that all Strategies are rural proofed.
	Board membership, quite rightly, varies to reflect regional variations. Current membership is tabled as follows:
	
		Membership of the English Regional Housing Boards(as at October 2003)
		
			 East Midlands  
		
		
			 Jane Todd Government Office for the East Midlands (Chair) 
			 Nick Reed Housing Corporation 
			 Alison Simpson East Midlands Development Agency 
			 Tony Aitchison East Midlands Regional Assembly 
			 Peter Springett English Partnerships 
			 David Lepper Countryside Agency 
			 Bob Walder Housing Task Group 
			   
			 East of England  
			 Caroline Bowdler Government Office for the East of England (Chair) 
			 David Marlow East of England Regional Development Agency 
			 Brian Stewart East of England Regional Assembly 
			 Cllr Simon Woodbridge East of England Regional Assembly 
			 Cllr Paul Kirkman East of England Regional Assembly 
			 Cllr Trevor Millar East of England Regional Assembly 
			 Mick Sanders East of England Regional Housing Forum 
			 Denis Hone English Partnerships 
			 Nick Reed Housing Corporation 
			 John Dowie Government Office for the East of England 
			 John Street Government Office for the East of England 
			   
			 London  
			 Liz Meek Government Office for London (Chair) 
			 Corinne Lyons Government Office for London 
			 Anthony Mayer Greater London Authority 
			 Neale Coleman Greater London Authority 
			 Mark Kleinman Greater London Authority 
			 Martin Pilgrim Association of London Government 
			 Genevieve Macklin Association of London Government 
			 Chris Wood Association of London Government 
			 Michael Ward London Development Agency 
			 Steven Douglas Housing Corporation 
			 Duncan Innes English Partnerships 
			   
			 North East  
			 Jonathan Blackie Government Office for the North East (Chair) 
			 Diana Pierce Government Office for the North East 
			 Alan Clarke One North East (North East RDA) 
			 John Walker English Partnerships 
			 Cllr Peter Mole North East Housing Forum 
			 Cllr Alan Napier North East Regional Assembly 
			 John Carleton Housing Corporation 
			 Jolyon Harrison House Builders Federation 
			 Evelyn Kemp North East Council for Tenants and Residents 
			 Cllr Bob Brady Association of North East Councils 
			   
			 North West  
			 Keith Barnes Government Office for the North West (Chair) 
			 John Carleton Housing Corporation 
			 Steve Machin North West Regional Assembly 
			 David Shelton English Partnerships 
			 Cllr Noel Spencer North West Housing Forum 
			 Wayne Shand North West Development Agency 
			 Peter Styche Government Office for the North West 
			   
			 South East  
			 Paul Martin Government Office for the South East (Chair) 
			 Mark Bilsborough Government Office for the South East 
			 Colin Byrne Government Office for the South East 
			 Paul Hudson SEEDA (South East England Development Agency) 
			 Mike Gwilliam South East Regional Assembly 
			 Clive Turner Housing Corporation 
			 Trevor Beattie English Partnerships 
			 Cllr Keith House SEEDA (South East England Development Agency) 
			 Sheila Drew Smith Housing Corporation 
			 Cllr Keith Mitchell South East Regional Assembly 
			 Cllr Don Turner South East Regional Assembly 
			 Cllr Paul Bizzell South East Regional Assembly 
			 Douglas Horner South East Regional Assembly 
			 Sharon Hedges South East Regional Assembly 
			 South West  
			 Jane Henderson Government Office for the South West (Chair) 
			 Thoss Shearer Government Office for the South West 
			 Clive Turner Housing Corporation 
			 Malcolm Hanney South West Regional Assembly 
			 Bryoney Houlden South West Regional Assembly 
			 Colin Moulton South West Regional Development Agency 
			 Duncan Innes English Partnerships 
			 Pat Crowson Local Government Association 
			 John Barley National Housing Federation 
			 David Seaton House Builders Federation 
			   
			 West Midlands  
			 Graham Garbutt Government Office for the West Midlands (Chair) 
			 Nick Reed Housing Corporation 
			 John Edwards Advantage West Midlands (West Midlands RDA) 
			 Simon Hodgson West Midlands Regional Assembly 
			 Peter Murray English Partnerships 
			 Steve Gregory Regional Housing Partnership 
			 Rose Poulter West Midlands Local Government Association 
			 Phillipa Holland Government Office for the West Midlands 
			   
			 Yorkshire and the Humber  
			 Felicity Everiss Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber (Chair) 
			 Martin Havenhand Yorkshire Forward (Yorkshire and Humber RDA) 
			 Liz Kerry Yorkshire and Humber Assembly 
			 Cllr Peter Box Yorkshire and Humber Assembly 
			 John Carleton Housing Corporation 
			 Mike Gahagan South Yorkshire Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder 
			 Stuart Whyte Hull and E. Riding Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder 
			 David Carr English Partnerships 
			 Cllr Richard Lewis Yorkshire and Humberside Housing Forum 
			 Michael Hall Yorkshire and Humberside Housing Forum 
			 John Kirkham Yorkshire and Humberside Housing Forum

Social Housing

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will encourage local authorities and housing associations to build a range of properties with varying numbers of bedrooms in agreements made under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

Keith Hill: Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 Housing (March 2000) requires local planning authorities to provide wider housing opportunity and choice, and a better mix in the size and type of housing than is currently available.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister recently published for consultation proposed changes to the current policies on planning for housing mix set out in PPG3. The consultation document Influencing The Size, Type And Affordability Of Housing proposes that local planning authorities should plan to meet the housing requirements of the whole community by planning for a mix of housing types and sizes that reflects up-to-date assessments. It proposes new policy which would allow local planning authorities, where appropriate local plan policies are in place, to reject developments that conflict with the objective of widening housing choice.
	A local planning authority can secure a range of sizes of housing either by granting permission to a planning application or by attaching a planning condition, where this information is not provided by a planning application. Alternatively, notes could be appended to an outline permission to give the developer guidance as to what precise form of development will be acceptable to the local planning authority. A section 106 agreement can be employed to secure that some of the housing for which planning permission has been granted must be affordable housing, and the agreement can specify the type of that housing.

Total Cost Indicators

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will permit Total Cost Indicators to increase in line with the increase in property prices.

Keith Hill: The Housing Corporation launched their new approach to investment on 24 October. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has agreed that as part of the phased introduction of the 'new approach' that total cost indicators (TCIs) will be phased out over time. For the Social Housing Grant bidding round for 200405 and 200506, TCIs have been uprated by an average of 8 per cent. using a range of 5 per cent. to 15 per cent. based on existing TCI groupings.

TREASURY

Air Transport

John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what plans he has to increase air passenger duty;
	(2)  what plans he has to end the tax exemption status of aviation fuel.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Mr. O'Brien) on 28 October 2003, Official Report, column 206W. Levels of all taxes are reviewed as part of the annual Budget process, taking account of a range of social, economic and environmental considerations. The Chicago Convention prohibits the imposition of taxes or charges on fuel kept on board aircraft and consumed on international flights. The UK is also bound by bilateral air service agreements which impose further restrictions.
	The 2002 Pre-Budget Report stated that the Government would discuss with stakeholders the most effective economic instruments for ensuring that the industry is encouraged to take account of, and where appropriate, reduce its contribution to global warming, local air and noise pollution. The Government's views will be set out in the Air Transport White Paper, due to be published later this year.

ASPIRE Programme

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 14 October 2003, Official Report, column 141W, who has been the Board member responsible for project ASPIRE since the planning first commenced; when the intention to engage in a market making exercise in support of project ASPIRE was first committed to by Inland Revenue; when the potential suppliers who took part in the market making exercise were first selected by Inland Revenue for that purpose; and what action Inland Revenue subsequently took after 12 April 2000 to the end of July 2001 to ensure that maximum value for public money expended upon project ASPIRE was obtained.

Dawn Primarolo: The Board of the Inland Revenue has set up a Superintending Group to oversee the work of ASPIRE, which is chaired by Sir Nicholas Montagu KCB, the Chairman of the Inland Revenue.
	As I said in my answer of 14 October 2003, Official Report, column 141W, the market-making exercise was conceived by the Inland Revenue between August and October 2001; it was also committed to at this time. Potential suppliers were also identified between August and October 2001 as part of the planning for the market-making exercise.

Bank Accounts

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have taken up basic bank accounts in the UK; and what percentage this represents of all UK personal bank accounts.

Ruth Kelly: Latest figures from the British Bankers Association show that at the end of June 2003, the total number of basic bank accounts was 6,063,327. At the end of 2002, the total number of personal accounts (Major British Banking Groups) was 111,847,000. Basic bank accounts represent around 56 per cent. of all personal accounts using these figures.

Crown Estate Income

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much income the Crown Estate has received from rents paid for (a) marinas and (b) piers in each year since 1997.

Ruth Kelly: The figures for rents received for piers and marinas in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are in the table.
	The information for Scotland is not readily available prior to the current financial year. This is because information held on foreshore lease arrangements in Scotland in previous years cannot readily identify income from piers and marinas. However, the estimated income for the current financial year in Scotland is 95,000 from piers and 60,000 from marinas, and this would be indicative of income in previous years.
	
		
		
			  Piers Marinas 
		
		
			 1997 9,375 574,960 
			 1998 9,375 624,974 
			 1999 9,375 714,896 
			 2000 10,500 574,260 
			 2001 10,500 738,504 
			 2002 11,500 996,703 
			 2003 12,500 1,242,219 
			 Total (excluding Scotland) 73,125 5,466,516

Crown Estate Income

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue the Crown Estate has collected from charges levied on cables crossing its land in each year since 1997; and how much the Crown Estate has charged per kilometre of cable laid (a) on the seabed and (b) over ground in each year since 1997.

Ruth Kelly: Since 1997 the information requested is as follows:
	Land based cables
	Cables that cross land, or connect Scottish Islands to the UK mainland for domestic purposes, are covered by the British Telecom Master Agreement, which is expressed as a lump sum payment. This agreement is negotiated between BT and the Crown Estate and covers not only cables, but also poles, struts, stays, joint boxes, etc. that cross land.
	
		
			  Revenue ( million) 
		
		
			 1997 0.43 
			 1998 0.58 
			 1999 0.58 
			 2000 0.65 
			 2001 0.65 
			 2002 1.05 
			 2003 1.05 
		
	
	Seabed cables
	The Crown Estate holds consultation with the United Kingdom Cable Protection Committee (UKCPC) in respect of telecommunication cable systems that either transit UK waters or land at some point on the UK coast. The agreement relates to international systems only. The agreement sets out fixed charges for single destination and self-healing loop systems, regardless of the length of cable involved.
	
		
			  Revenue ( million) 
		
		
			 1997 1.22 
			 1998 1.63 
			 1999 2.65 
			 2000 3.54 
			 2001 3.79 
			 2002 4.98 
			 2003 5.07

Crown Estate Income

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2003, Official Report, column 38W, on Crown Estate income, how much income has been received by the Crown Estate from rents paid for cables which connect (a) Orkney, (b) Shetland and (c) other Scottish Islands to the UK mainland for each financial year since 1997; and what estimate the Government have made of the impact on UK businesses of charges levied by the Crown Estate for cables that use the seabed.

Ruth Kelly: Revenue paid to The Crown Estate for cables to Orkney, Shetland and other Scottish Islands from the UK mainland is calculated under the British Telecom Master Agreement. The revenue is not calculated for each specific piece of land that is crossed and therefore information for cables connecting individual Scottish Islands is not identifiable. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier today regarding the revenue received by the Crown Estate from cables crossing either the seabed or land managed by the Crown Estate since 1997.
	Rents charged by the Crown Estate for use of the seabed are established by professional valuers in negotiation with users, and where appropriate, involve consultation with the relevant industry or interest groups. The rents are set at levels appropriate to the market conditions and must not take advantage of any monopoly interest. The Crown Estate must comply with the requirements placed upon it by Parliament under The Crown Estate Act 1961, with regards to the maintenance of the Estate and the income which it yields. The Crown Estate manages the estate according to sound commercial principles, and also understands and works with the industries that use its assets to ensure that high standards of management and stewardship are followed.

Firearms

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answers of 15 October 2003, Official Report, column 280W, and 14 July 2003, Official Report, column 133W, whether firearms include shotguns for licensing purposes; of the firearms controlled by HM Customs at Farnborough airport in 1999 how many were not presented with a valid firearms licence or British visitor firearms licence by the individuals declaring them to customs officers on the date of entry to the UK; and how many firearms were prohibited within the meaning of the Firearms Acts.

John Healey: Firearms include shot guns for import and domestic licensing purposes. Of the importations of firearms controlled by Customs at Farnborough airport in 1999 one was a prohibited weapon within the meaning of the Firearms Act 1968 and did not have a valid firearms licence or British Visitor's Permit.

Fireworks

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many illegal fireworks have been seized on entry to the UK at the port of Hull in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

John Healey: 17,400 fireworks weighing approximately 3.5 tonnes have been seized at the port of Hull in the 12 months to 31 October 2003.

Inland Revenue

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answers of 14 October 2003, Official Report, column 141W, and 8 September 2003, Official Report, column 103W, on the Inland Revenue, whether Commissioners of Inland Revenue were given objectives relating to Project ASPIRE or its antecedents which attracted performance-related pay in 19992000 to 200203.

Dawn Primarolo: Commissioners of the Inland Revenue have Performance Agreements in the same way as all other staff. These contain agreed objectives that are relevant to their job but the Agreement and its contents are personal to the individual. Commissioners can earn performance-related pay under the pay system that applies to the Senior Civil Service, but details of performance appraisal and consequential pay adjustments are always treated as confidential information.

Inland Revenue

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answers of 15 October 2003, Official Report, column 280W, and 14 October 2003, Official Report, column 139W, what the destination offices were in 200001 of Inland Revenue officers posted from the Business Tax Group, within International Division, broken down by (a) Business Tax Group Deputy Director's Office, (b) Policy Team and (c) Advisory/Casework Team.

Dawn Primarolo: It would be inappropriate to disclose the information requested as it would facilitate the identification of individual members of staff of the Inland Revenue. Exemption 8 (a) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government information applies in this case.

Inland Revenue

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 8 September 2003, Official Report, column 103W, on what date the Inland Revenue submitted its Supplementary Memorandum, as published in the 29 Report of the Committee of Public Accounts, Session 200203, HC 332, to the Committee of Public Accounts.

Dawn Primarolo: The Supplementary Memorandum to which the hon. Member refers was submitted to the Committee of Public Accounts on 12 February 2003.

Oil and Gas Industry

Robert Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the draft EU constitution on the Treasury's powers to set the fiscal regime for the exploitation of oil and gas reserves from the UK continental shelf. [R]

Dawn Primarolo: Any changes to the provisions of the existing EU Treaties, including in relation to energy matters, require the unanimous agreement of all member states. The Government have made it clear in their White Paper, The British Approach to the European Union Inter-governmental Conference 2003, that they will insist that tax matters continue to be decided by unanimity.

Pensions

Keith Bradley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates the cost would be in this financial year to the Treasury of exempting the state retirement pension from income tax.

Dawn Primarolo: The cost of exempting the state retirement pension for the purposes of income tax is 4.6 billion in 200304.
	This estimate was based on the 200001 Survey of Personal Incomes and is consistent with the Budget 2003 forecasts.

Property Sales (Tax)

John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual revenue that would be raised from a 40 per cent. tax rate on profits from the sale of property.

Dawn Primarolo: Reliable estimates of the yield from imposing capital gains tax at 40 per cent. on profits from the sale of property are only available at disproportionate cost.

Public Expenditure

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much, as a percentage of GDP, has been spent on (a) health, (b) education and (c) defence in (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) each other member of the EU in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: Financial year figures for UK expenditure on health, education and defence are as follows:
	
		Percentage GDP
		
			  199899 outturn 19992000 outturn 200001 200102 200303 
		
		
			 Education 4.5 4.5 4.6 4.9 5.1 
			 Health 5.3 5.5 5.6 6.0 6.3 
			 Defence 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.4 2.4 
		
	
	Source
	Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2003 (Cm 5901)
	Figures for EU member states are shown in the tables as follows. These are on a calendar year basis.
	
		Health -- Percentage GEP
		
			  1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 BE 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.6 6.7 
			 DK 5.2 5.3 5.2 5.4 5.6 
			 DE 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.3  
			 GR 2.4 2.6 2.5 4.1  
			 ES  5.4 5.4 5.3  
			 FR 7.8 7.7 7.8 7.9  
			 IE 5.9 5.7 5.9 6.3  
			 IT 5.7 5.8 6.1 6.3  
			 LU 4.9 4.6 4.2 4.9 5.0 
			 NL 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.1 5.0 
			 AT 8.0 7.9 7.5 5.8  
			 PT 6.1 6.3 6.7 6.8  
			 FI 5.9 5.9 5.8 6.0  
			 SE 6.3 6.4 6.3 6.6  
		
	
	
		Education -- Percentage GDP
		
			  1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 BE 6.4 6.2 6.1 6.2 6.4 
			 DK 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.3 8.3 
			 DE 4.4 4.3 4.3 4.2  
			 GR 3.7 3.7 3.8 3.8  
			 ES  4.4 4.4 4.3  
			 FR 6.2 6.3 6.1 6.0  
			 IE 4.3 4.2 4.1 4.3  
			 IT 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.1  
			 LU 5.1 4.9 4.4 4.7 5.1 
			 NL 4.7 4.8 4.7 4.8 4.9 
			 AT 6.0 5.9 5.8 5.8  
			 PT 6.7 6.9 6.9 6.9  
			 FI 6.5 6.4 6.2 6.4  
			 SE 7.4 7.6 6.9 7.7  
		
	
	
		Defence -- Percentage GDP
		
			  1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 BE 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.2 
			 DK 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.6 
			 DE 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2  
			 GR 3.1 3.1 3.3 3.2  
			 ES  1.2 1.2 1.2  
			 FR 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.4  
			 IE 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.7  
			 IT 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1  
			 LU 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 
			 NL 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.5 
			 AT 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.9  
			 PT 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.7  
			 Fl 1.8 1.7 1.5 1.5  
			 SE 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.2  
		
	
	Source:
	Eurostat

Revenue Recovery

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 14 October 2003, Official Report, column 139W, on the Inland Revenue, if he will break down the 1.09 million by size of company from which recovery was made.

Dawn Primarolo: All of the transfer pricing cases involving recovery by Revenue Policy International in the year 2000 involved substantial multinational companies.

Tax Credits

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many nil awards have been made in respect of applications for (a) child and (b) working tax credit.

Ruth Kelly: Details of families who have child and working tax credit awards as at quarterly reference dates are published in Child and Working Tax Credits. Quarterly Statistics. This appears on the Inland Revenue website at: www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm

Tax Credits

John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 22 October 2003, Official Report, column 620W, on tax credits, what plans he has to make estimates of take-up of (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit broken down by (i) region, (ii) local authority and (iii) parliamentary constituency.

Dawn Primarolo: As I announced on 31 October, 5.9 million families are now receiving benefits through new tax credits. Estimating take-up will only be possible when the Family Resources Survey for 200304 becomes available.

Tax Credits

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the average waiting time for an NHS tax credit exemptions certificate was in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the procedure is for the Inland Revenue to provide details to the exemptions office of those people who are eligible for an NHS tax credit exemptions certificate;
	(3)  how many people were eligible for an NHS tax credit exemptions certificate in the last year for which figures are available; and how many are still waiting to receive certificates.

Dawn Primarolo: Claims for tax credits are processed as quickly as possible. Claims for which no further information is required, and which pass the various pre award checks, go through the stages of calculating the award quickly and will normally be in payment within a few days. Once an award has been made, the Inland Revenue identify the families who are entitled to a health costs exemption certificate and send the data to the Prescription Pricing Authority (PPA) to issue the certificates on behalf of the Department of Health. On receipt of the data the PPA processes tax credit exception claims and issues the certificate within 30 days of valid data being received. Data are sent monthly from the IR to the PPA.
	Since the new tax credits were introduced in April 2003, the PPA has issued over 1.7 million certificates for tax credit claims. A certificate is issued on an individual basis and a couple would therefore receive one each.
	The latest batch of data was received by the PPA on 24 October 2003 and issue of the associated certificates will be completed by 24 November 2003.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Publications

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many copies of his Department's publications for people who have been bereaved were printed in 200203.

Chris Pond: holding answer 3 November 2003
	The Department produces a number of leaflets for people who have been bereaved. Around 1,300,000 copies of these leaflets were printed during 200203. Information on bereavement benefits is also included in general benefit leaflets.
	Leaflets giving details of bereavement benefits are available from social security offices, post offices, undertakers, registrars and some doctor's surgeries.

Pensions

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Scotland are in receipt of occupational pensions.

Malcolm Wicks: In the financial year 200102, an estimated 525,000 people were in receipt of occupational pensions in Scotland; this compares with 5,775,000 people in receipt of occupational pensions in the United Kingdom. A higher percentage of the population are in receipt of occupational pensions in Scotland than in the United Kingdom as a whole (9.1 per cent. in Scotland and 8.6 per cent. in the UK as a whole).
	Source: Estimates from Family Resources Survey 200102.

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate (a) the gross cost and (b) the cost net of savings on means-tested benefits and increased income tax revenues of introducing age additions to the basic state pension of (i) 10 per week at the age of 75 and (ii) 15 per week at the age of 80 from April 2004.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is set out in the following table:
	
		 billion
		
			  Gross cost Net cost 
		
		
			  
			  
			 Estimated gross cost and the cost net of savings on means-tested benefits and increased income tax revenues of introducing age additions to the basic state pension of 10 per week at the age of 75 from April 2004. 2.2 1.4 
			 Estimated gross cost and the cost net of savings on means-tested benefits and increased income tax revenues of introducing age additions to the basic state pension of 15 per week at the age of 80 from April 2004. 1.9 1.2 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are in 200304 price terms and are rounded to the nearest 100 million.
	2. Gross costs are estimated by the Government Actuary's Department.
	3. Income-related benefit offsets are calculated using the DWP policy simulation model.
	4. Income tax revenue increases calculated by the Inland Revenue using the 200001 Survey of Personal Incomes and April 2003 Budget forecasts.
	5. The two options have been costed separately.
	6. The age addition increases are assumed to be flat-rate increases and are paid in full to all pensioners of applicable age.

Pension Credit

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many calls have been made to the pension credit telephone application line, broken down by originating region.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in the form requested. The pension credit application line had received approximately 1.25 million calls as at 25 October 2003.

Winter Fuel Payment

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate how many people in Scotland who became newly entitled for the 200304 winter fuel payment and who needed to make a claim before 19 September 2003 in order to receive their payment before Christmas failed to do so; and what the value was of such payments.

Malcolm Wicks: We estimate that around 60,000 people will be newly entitled to the 200304 winter fuel payments in Scotland, and of these, around 26,700 should receive their payments automatically. The others would need to claim and we have publicised the availability of winter fuel payments and how to obtain a claim form.
	We are unable to provide any reliable estimate of the value of unclaimed winter fuel payments because the amount due depends on the composition of the household. It is up to an individual, where a claim is necessary, to decide whether or not to make that claim. They have until 30 March 2004 to make a claim for this winter.
	Notes
	1. New entitlement based on population estimates from the Government Actuary's Department.
	2. Figures for total winter fuel payments taken from the Matching Intelligence Data Analysis Service Winter Fuels Payment 200203 exercise 100 per cent. data. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	3. The estimated number of people who turned 60 between March 2002 and March 2003 and were claiming the state pension should receive automatic payments.
	4. The data for the number of people who should receive automatic payments are from5 per cent. samples of individual benefits and figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.
	Sources
	1. DWP IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample.
	2. Client Group Analysis of IAD Information Centre statistical samples.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made in opening schools for girls in (a) Kabul and (b) other parts of Afghanistan.

Hilary Benn: UNICEF has been working in partnership with the Ministry of Education, the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS) and a number of NGOs to rehabilitate over 200 primary schools both in Kabul and in other parts of Afghanistan, with special emphasis on parts of the country where large numbers of people have returned from overseas.
	We contributed 2 million to the UNICEF Back to School Campaign during 200203. The program targeted approximately 1.78 million primary school children (both girls and boys), and up to 50,000 teachers across Afghanistan. This year, over 4 million children are back at over 6,500 schools. Over one third of the pupils are girls.

Afghanistan

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure the safety of workers distributing aid funded by his Department in areas outside Kabul, with particular reference to women aid workers.

Hilary Benn: DFID funded aid projects are implemented by its partners, mainly the UN and NGOs. All these partners have strict security guidelines in place to ensure the safety of their staff, including women. Some of these partners have also appointed dedicated professional security officers. The UN has security officers in all of its regional offices providing regular security updates and advice, to the UN and other aid agencies. In addition, ACBAR, the main NGO coordination body in Afghanistan, regularly updates and discusses all security related reports and advice with the NGO community. DFID provided a grant of 800,000 to the UN in October 2001 to enhance its safety and security measures.

Afghanistan

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what facilities are available to Afghan women in order for them to be educated enough to be able to participate in the election.

Hilary Benn: The Constitutional Commission's public education department, run by the UN, has launched a wide-spread public information/education campaign to acquaint Afghans with the Constitutional Loya Jirga process. The electorate is being provided with information packages and training through provincial registration meetings. Concerning women's participation in the elections, a specific information and training campaign is currently being developed by the UN but details have yet to be finalised. DFID has contributed 1 million towards the election registration process with a further 2 million allocated from the joint DFID-FCO-MOD Global Conflict Prevention Pool.

Aid Programmes

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the aid programmes in middle-income countries whose funding from the Department will be changed as a result of the diversion of aid to the reconstruction of Iraq; and what assessment he has made of the impact of such changes on middle income countries.

Hilary Benn: Final decisions have yet to be taken on where reallocations will occur and I refer the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington to the answers I gave the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 4 November 2003, Official Report, columns 486W and 490W.

Aid Provision

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid the UK gave to each of the five poorest nations in each of the last five years.

Hilary Benn: The five poorest nations have been identified as those with the lowest GNI per capita. This is calculated by dividing the Gross National Income by the mid year population. GNI per capita in US dollars is converted using the World Bank Atlas method.
	
		UK bilateral assistance (000) to five poorest nations
		
			 Poorest nations based on GNIper capita GNI per capita (US$) Total Gross Public Expenditure 200203 (000) 
		
		
			 Democratic Republic of Congo 80 15,586 
			 Ethiopia 100 44,240 
			 Burundi 100 1,934 
			 Liberia 140 1,738 
			 Sierra Leone 140 32,761 
		
	
	Source:
	SID 2003 Edition Tables 1.8 and 7.1.
	The UK also gives assistance to these countries via our multilateral contributions.

AIDS

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with governments of countries affected by AIDS, concerning the future impact of AIDS on public services and stability of their society.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: HIV/AIDS is a human catastrophe and a significant development challenge. This is acknowledged by many governments and it is frequently discussed in meetings the Department for International Development has with partner countries. The issue is also discussed in a range of regional and international fora.
	HIV/AIDS is not just a health problem. It requires a response that addresses public services like education, livelihoods and food security, access to justice and security. In Malawi for example DFID is working with other donors and the Malawian Government to ensure that the Poverty Reduction Strategies addresses the impact of HIV/AIDS on all public services. In education, DFID is currently working with the UNAIDS Interagency Task Team for Education and HIV/AIDS to promote high level understanding and leadership, and strengthen the technical capacity of developing countries to develop and implement effective education responses to the epidemic.

AIDS Orphans

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number of AIDS orphans there are, broken down by country.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: We expect the very latest statistics on orphans to be published in a report by UNICEF, Africa's Orphaned Generations, on 23 November 2003. Until then the international community, including DFID, has drawn on the joint UNAIDS, UNICEF, USAID Report, Children on the Brink 2002, which provides statistics on current and projected numbers of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in 88 countries.
	Children on the Brink 2002 estimates that 13.4 million children under the age of 15 had lost one or both parents to AIDS in 2001. 11 million of these children are in sub-Saharan Africa. By 2010, this number is expected to rise to 25 million, with probable large increases in Asia. In the hardest hit countries, it is estimated that 15 per cent. of all children will be orphaned by AIDS by 2005.

AIDS Orphans

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with other donor countries and NGOs concerning AIDS orphans in developing countries.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: HIV/AIDS has created an unprecedented orphan crisis. By 2001 13.4 million children had lost one or both parents to AIDS. The growing impacts of HIV/AIDS on children, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, have strong implications for the achievement of all development goals. Co-ordinating and harmonising the response to this crisis is a key challenge for the international community.
	In June 2001, DFID joined the rest of the international community at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on HIV/AIDS in adopting the Declaration of Commitment which set common targets for reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS and alleviating its impact. The Declaration includes three strong commitments to provide special assistance to children orphaned and affected by HIV/AIDS.
	DFID is now working with UNAIDS and UNICEF, who are co-ordinating other development agencies and NGOs to develop a Global Strategic Framework to translate the UNGASS Declaration into country level action and commitment. Other governments engaged in this process include the US, the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, and Denmark. Emphasis is placed on the need to strengthen community-based care of orphans and ensure that they stay in school.
	At the country level, we are in dialogue with governments and development partners to ensure that national responses to the epidemic include appropriate provision for the education, health, nutrition and housing needs of orphaned as well as their protection from abuse and exploitation. In Uganda, we have supported the Government in the implementation of free universal primary education. Prior to the introduction of the free Universal Primary Education policy, 12 per cent. fewer orphans were attending school compared to non-orphans. In 2000 this had diminished to 4 per cent. as a result of free primary education. In Malawi we are working with other donors and the Government of Malawi to ensure that the needs of orphans and vulnerable children are addressed through the Poverty Reduction Strategy processes.

AIDS Orphans

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what response his Department is making to the UNICEF and UNAIDS announcement of a co-ordinated global response to AIDS orphans.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: HIV/AIDS has created an unprecedented orphan crisis. By 2001 13.4 million children had lost one or both parents to AIDS. The growing impacts of HIV/AIDS on children, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, have strong implications for the achievement of all development goals. Coordinating and harmonising the response to this crisis is a key challenge for the international community.
	In October of this year, DFID joined other major international partners to develop a global strategic framework for the protection, care and support of orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS (OVC). The framework will highlight key issues in an effective response to the needs of OVC. We fully endorses the draft framework's emphasis on free primary education and strengthened support to community-based care for OVC within the context of a broad multi-sectoral national HIV/AIDS strategy. We continue to emphasise the importance of embedding responses to the orphan crisis in national level mechanisms such as the Poverty Reduction Strategy processes, and the urgency of providing treatment programmes to prolong the lives of HIV+ parents.

AIDS/TB/Malaria

Andrew Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the United Kingdom's contribution will be to the Global Fund for combating AIDS, TB and malaria in each year up to 2008 for this year.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The UK recognises that in order to be effective the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) needs predictable and sustainable financing. The UK recently extended its pledge by a further two years to 2008 bringing our total contribution to approximately US$280million.
	The pattern of our disbursements has been agreed with the Global Fund Secretariatfor the financial year 200203, the UK provided 50 million in two separate payments of 25 million, in 200304 the UK provided 25 million, in 200405 we will provide 30 million, and in 200506 we will provide 33 million. In the years 200607 and 200708 we have pledged US$40 million per year.
	UK funding is subject to the GFATM reflecting a clear poverty focus, achieving a better financing system, integrating the Fund's activities more effectively with national programmes and meeting agreed benchmarks to monitor its effectiveness. Good progress was made at the recent 6th Board meeting in Thailand on many of these issues.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support and advice is being provided to the interim government of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Hilary Benn: The Government have recently informed the Transitional National Government (TNG) of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and made public, a significant stepping up of its engagement with the DRC, following the installation of the TNG this summer. This year, our programme will amount to 23 million.
	Ensuring a successful transition process, including embedding the TNG, is crucial to our overall goal of ensuring peace and poverty reduction in the DRC and through that, the region as a whole. As a member of the International Committee for Support to the Transition, we are pressing for a well developed and shared understanding between donors and government of the Transition Process and of the varied challenges and milestones that the process will entail, as well as strong day-to-day co-ordination of their support efforts.
	We are providing 700,000 in direct support for the basic infrastructure needs of the Transition Institutions, which include the President and four Vice Presidents, Government, Parliament, Senate, Supreme Court and the five Democracy Support Commissions (Elections, Human Rights, Truth and Reconciliation, Anti-Corruption and Media). We are considering technical assistance for the drawing up of a national Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) strategy, a Security Sector Reform (SSR) strategy and a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). We are also looking at providing some civil service capacity building support to the Government with UNDP and other donors.
	It is crucial for DRC and the wider Great Lakes region that the transition process remains on track. We will therefore make continued efforts to strengthen and consolidate peace, which include humanitarian work, disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of ex-combatants, army, police and justice sector reform, and grassroots peace-building work.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what efforts are being made to ensure that the forthcoming elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo will be free and fair.

Hilary Benn: We believe that national elections are a key part of the transition period under way in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and an important challenge for the new Transitional National Government (TNG). This will require not only support from donors but also strong and effective engagement by civil society and a free and responsible media.
	We are currently providing 700,000 in direct support for the basic infrastructure needs of the Transition Institutions, which include the President and four Vice Presidents, Government, Parliament, Senate, Supreme Court and the five Democracy Support Commissions, including the Independent Electoral Commission. When the financial needs of the electoral process become clearer, we will consider what further support we might give. With other donors and the TNG, we are looking at how we can provide core funding for all five Democracy Support Commissions (Elections, Human Rights, Anti-Corruption, Media and Truth and Reconciliation). We are promoting donor coordination and harmonisation to ensure an effective approach towards all aspects of holding free and fair elections.
	Media pluralism is critical for encouraging and supporting political pluralism. We are therefore providing support to the media sector not only as above through the Media Commission, but also: through 500,000 funding to Panos Paris, an NGO who are working to build capacity and strengthen the media sector to improve access to, and quality of information; and over 1 million through Foundation Hirondelle to support Radio Okapi, the UN linked radio station which broadcasts good quality news and peace messages and will play an important part in the elections.
	Finally, free and fair elections will not happen unless the transition process remains on track. We will, therefore make continued efforts to strengthen and consolidate peace, which include humanitarian work, disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of ex-combatants, army, police and justice sector reform, and grassroots peace-building work.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the report by a UN commission on the misuse of the Democratic Republic of Congo's natural resources.

Hilary Benn: I am currently considering the Final Report of the UN Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo and I shall write to the hon. Lady as soon as possible.

Developing Countries (Property Ownership)

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to his answer of 16 September 2003, Official Report, column 653W, on developing countries (property ownership), what resources his Department is allocating to deal with these problems.

Hilary Benn: In my earlier responses to my hon. Friend I outlined DFID's assessment of and engagement in property ownership issues. DFID has currently over 575.4 million in approved project and programme commitments dealing with these issues in both urban and rural areas in developing countries.
	In urban areas, 160.7 million has been committed by DFID to this issue. This includes programmes and projects relating property ownership issues to urban management, urbanisation policy and shelter and tenure.
	In the rural sector DFID has currently committed 412.6 million to programmes and projects dealing with land policy.
	In other sectors (Governance, Human Rights, Social Protection, Local Government Reform) DFID currently has 2.1 million committed.
	In addition DFID has the services of a Land Policy Adviser.

Iraq

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what poverty impact assessments have been undertaken on the impact of redirection of funds from middle income countries to the reconstruction of Iraq; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what programmes will be ended prematurely owing to the redirection of funds away from middle income countries to the reconstruction of Iraq.

Hilary Benn: Final decisions have yet to be taken on where reallocations will occur and I refer the hon. Member for Blaby to the answers I gave the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 4 November 2003, Official Report, columns 486W and 490W.

Iraq

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what resources are being diverted from his Department's budgets to Iraq; which other countries are affected; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Final decisions have yet to be taken on where reallocations will occur and I refer my hon. Friend to the to the answers I gave the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 4 November 2003, Official Report, columns 48690W.

Iraq

Gerry Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the money allocated to aid reconstruction in Iraq has been transferred from other aid programmes.

Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Member for the City of Durham to the answers I gave the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 4 November 2003, Official Report, columns 486W and 490W.

Maternal Mortality

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to meet the Millennium Development Goal to reduce the level of maternal mortality among mothers in childbirth in developing countries, with particular reference to Africa.

Hilary Benn: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are central to DFID's work, including the goal to improve maternal health, and its associated target of reducing the maternal mortality ratio (the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births) by 75 per cent. between 1990 and 2015. Our Public Service Agreement includes ambitious targets on increasing access in Africa and Asia to skilled attendance at childbirth. Skilled attendance is an important contributor to safe childbirth and serves as an internationally agreed proxy indicator of progress towards the maternal health MDG, trends in maternal mortality being notoriously difficult to assess directly. DFID's strategy includes advocacy in the international arena, support to countries to strengthen health systems and improve access to maternal and reproductive health services, and support for research and improved measurement tools. DFID is participating in a new international partnership for Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health.
	Sub-Saharan Africa bears a disproportionate burden of maternal mortality. In 2000, there were approximately 247,000 maternal deaths in sub-Saharan Africa, almost half the 529,000 deaths worldwide. We support the maternal health strategies of African countries through health sector budget support, through safe motherhood projects, for example in Kenya and Malawi, and indirectly through general budget support. Since 1997 we have committed approximately 0.5 billion to health systems strengthening in Africa. We also fund international multilateral agencies and international NGOs active in supporting maternal health programmes in Africa.

Tanzania

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reports he has received on food security in Tanzania; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The Government of Tanzania has submitted reports to development partners on food security and the distribution of around 16,000 MT of subsidised food from their Strategic Grain Reserve. I have been receiving further updates on the situation from the DFID office in Dar es Salaam. WFP approved an Emergency Operation on 20 October to provide additional assistance to drought affected persons. DFID is considering its response to this appeal.

Zimbabwe

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the closure of the regional hospital in the Matabeleland South province of Zimbabwe.

Hilary Benn: Shangani hospital serves a population in Matabeleland South Province that includes about 12,500 newly resettled families in a former commercial farming area.
	At the end of September 2003, Shangani hospital announced that it had ceased to admit patients because it had run out of food. This occurred despite Government of Zimbabwe policy that all hospitals and other key institutions have priority for access to food supplied by the Grain Marketing Board, which is a parastatal. In response, the chair of the Provincial Food Task Force promised to provide food to the hospital on an emergency basis and to undertake an investigation into the situation.
	Shangani hospital is now operating again, although shortages of food, ambulances and fuel persist.

Zimbabwe

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the interruptions to the water supply in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Hilary Benn: Several cities and towns of Zimbabwe are being affected by the interruption of their water supplies to varying degrees. The lack of provision of foreign exchange by the central government imposes a serious constraint on local government's capacity to purchase water treatment chemicals. In addition, the country is coming towards the end of the dry season resulting in very low levels in the main reservoirs.
	It is hoped the recent rains will have helped the situation, as well as the anticipation of normal rainfall this year. The Harare city council so far is managing to ensure clean water supplies to Harare, and has begun to receive some support to import chemicals from donors following a request through the United Nations. There has recently been a general improvement in supplies as the city council took active action to deal with the situation including a hosepipe ban.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the trends in (a) poppy cultivation and (b) the heroin trade in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement on its impact on the country's stability.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him today (UIN135856).

Afghanistan

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with (a) the UN, (b) international partners and (c) farmers in Afghanistan regarding the measures which need to be taken to meet the target set in the 2002 Spending Review to contribute to the reduction of opium production in Afghanistan.

Jack Straw: We are working closely with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to support the Afghan government in achieving its target of eliminating opium within 10 years. We also consult regularly with other key donors, as this is not something we can achieve on our own. We are organising an international conference, co-hosted with the Afghan Government and UNODC that will take place in Kabul in February 2004 with the aim of encouraging wider international community support. The UK also provided financial and human resources to the latest UNODC Farmers Intentions Study. This has helped us to ascertain the best methods of ensuring that Afghan farmers cease to grow opium poppy and pursue alternative livelihoods.

Afghanistan

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures his Department is taking to meet the target set in the 2002 Spending Review to contribute to the reduction of opium production in Afghanistan; and what estimate he has made of changes to the size of the opium harvest in Afghanistan in each of the next three years.

Jack Straw: The Afghan Transitional Authority (ATA) adopted its National Drug Control Strategy on 19 May 2003. Its objective is to reduce opium poppy cultivation by 70 per cent. in five years and by 100 per cent. in 10 years. The UK is committed to helping the ATA achieve this objective and has prepared a balanced programme of counter-narcotics activity to support implementation of the Afghan strategy. We have committed 70 million over three years and additional personnel are currently being posted to Afghanistan. It is difficult to assess expected cultivation levels in each year but we do not expect progress to be linear. Experience of counter-narcotics policies in other countries, such as Thailand and Pakistan, shows that cultivation tends to increase before declining. Cultivation also tends to move from traditional areas to more marginal and inaccessible areas to protect crops against law enforcement activity. Progress in the initial years of assistance towards reducing opium levels will also be dependent upon wider improvements in security and governance.

Afghanistan

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on poppy production in Afghanistan.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 30 October 2003, Official Report, column 20WS, regarding the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) survey results for the 2003 opium poppy crop in Afghanistan.

Azerbaijan

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Azeri Government since the election of Ilham Aliev as President regarding (a) the conduct of the recent elections in Azerbaijan and (b) arrests of opposition supporters.

Denis MacShane: The EU issued a statement on 23 October expressing regret for the shortcomings in the electoral process in Azerbaijan, while acknowledging that it was an improvement over previous elections. In the two weeks following the elections, our ambassador to Azerbaijan met twice with President-elect Ilham Aliev, and on both occasions he raised the issue of the post election arrests of opposition party officials and journalists. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Rammell) expressed our concern about the post-electoral developments in a press release of 23 October. A copy of the press release is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: www.fco.gov.uk/policy/news/press-releases. Many of those detained have since been released. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and keep in close touch with our EU and OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe) partners.

Azerbaijan

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of whether the recent elections in Azerbaijan can be deemed to have been free and fair; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: We acknowledge progress over previous elections in Azerbaijan, but regret that some shortcomings were observed. The International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) stated in its preliminary conclusions that voting was generally well administered in most polling stations, but that the overall election process still fell short of international standards in several respects. It is important that Azerbaijan takes steps to build on the progress it has made and to reaffirm its commitments in the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and obligations within the Council of Europe to the democratic process. We await the IEOM's final assessment on the conduct of the elections.

Burma

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to persuade the Thai Government to lift its restrictions on cross-border aid to internally displaced people in Burma and on refugees from Burma entering Thailand.

Mike O'Brien: We believe that the Burmese regime's refusal to grant access to IDP areas is the biggest restriction on aid to internally displaced people in Burma. The Thai authorities have a long record of providing safe haven for those fleeing persecution by the Burmese regime. With our EU colleagues, we regularly engage with the Thai authorities on this issue.

Burma

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Thailand's roadmap for democracy in Burma.

Mike O'Brien: The UK welcomes and is supportive of Thai efforts to encourage the Burmese military regime to enter into substantive genuine dialogue with democratic and ethnic minority leaders in Burma leading to national reconciliation. We believe that Thailand's proposal forms a good basis on which to build from.

Burma

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise the issue of the Burmese Government's atrocities against the Karen, Karenni and Shan people at the UN Security Council.

Mike O'Brien: The Government are encouraging all the appropriate bodies of the UN to tackle the issue of helping bring about national reconciliation, respect for human rights and democracy in Burma. Should Burma feature on the UN Security Council agenda, the Government would ensure that the plight of Burma's ethnic groups was taken fully into account.
	We regularly raise Burma, including the plight of Burma's ethnic groups, bilaterally with our Security Council partners, but there is currently no agreement that Burma should be discussed by the Security Council.

Burma

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what account the Government takes of the Burmese Army's atrocities against the (a) Karen, (b) Karenni and (c) Shan people in their decision-making; and what sanctions regime against Burma the Government will adopt.

Mike O'Brien: Together with the international community, we recognise that the resolution of the ethnic nationality issue is an essential ingredient in any possible solution to Burma's problems. The disproportionate violation of human rights suffered by ethnic groups has been highlighted by successive UN resolutions and were included in the European Union Council Conclusions on Burma when the EU decided to strengthen the Common Position in April 2003. We are currently discussing with EU colleagues what additional measures we may take to encourage national reconciliation, respect for human rights and democracy in Burma.

Burma

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the Government is taking to raise concerns with the Burmese regime regarding the Burmese military's deployment of land mines in (a) Karen, (b) Karenni and (c) Shan civilian areas; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Continued fighting between the Burmese Army and armed ethnic groups, which includes the use of land mines by both sides, is the cause of on-going suffering among the ordinary people in these areas. Ethnic groups, including the Karen, Karenni, and Shan, suffer disproportionately.
	The UK co-sponsors resolutions in the UN General assembly (UNGA) and UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) condemning the military regime's actions against the ethnic groups.

China

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Chinese Government regarding the imprisonment of Phuntsog Nyidrol.

Bill Rammell: Phuntsog Nyidrol was included on the list of individual cases of concern handed over to the Chinese authorities during my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's visit to China in July. We have regularly raised her case in the context of the biannual UK/China Human Rights Dialogue, and have requested her release on medical grounds.

Colombia

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the number of human rights violations, broken down by (a) murders, (b) kidnappings and (c) death threats each year in Colombia under the (i) Pastrana and (ii) Uribe administrations.

Bill Rammell: We see many reports on the human rights situation in Colombia each year from non-governmental organisations, international bodies and foreign governments. These reports have different methods of collating and presenting their data, so a consensus of figures of the particular categories mentioned by my hon. Friend is difficult to come by. Detailed reports are available on the following websites.
	UNHCHR http://www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/TestFrame/1304674285b7eb3bc1256cf5003906fb?Opendocument
	US State Department http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2002/18325.htm
	Amnesty International http://web.amnesty.org/report2003/col-summary-eng
	Human Rights Watch http://hrw.org/wr2k3/americas4.html
	The issues highlighted in these reports are of great concern to us. We raise these regularly with the Colombian Government. I recently did so when I met the Colombian Foreign Minister in New York on 23 September. We will continue to work closely with the Colombian Government, EU partners and others to tackle the problems.

Colombia

Clive Soley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance he is giving to the Colombian Government on human rights issues.

Bill Rammell: Our human rights assistance for Colombia addresses the key problems of violence, displacement, children's and women's rights, impunity and the guarantee of fundamental human rights freedoms. Projects include provision of human rights training for the Colombian armed forces; encouraging greater attention to the rights of displaced women, adolescents and girls; strengthening Colombian NGOs; rehabilitation of child soldiers; helping street children out of their negative environment; provision of political and financial support to the work of the UNHCHR office in Bogota and to the Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Colombia. We also contribute to the EU's programme of assistance of Euro 330 million over the period 200106 (which includes assistance on human rights).

EU Intergovernmental Conference

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the non-institutional matters which he submitted to the Italian Presidency by 20 October for raising at the Inter-governmental Conference.

Denis MacShane: The Government's letter to the Presidency on non-institutional issues for discussion in the Inter-governmental Conference raised the following issues: aspects of Justice and Home Affairs, the status of the Charter of Fundamental Rights; economic governance and the budget; defence; and the scope of qualified majority voting and co-decision. The Government's White Paper sets out our position on these questions in detail.

Immigration (Chagos Islanders)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with West Sussex county council about provision for permanent settlement of Chagos Islanders arriving at Gatwick airport.

Bill Rammell: My officials have been in contact with West Sussex county council and following this, officials in the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health are considering, with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the situation of the destitute Chagossians in the UK.

Immigration (Chagos Islanders)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements he has made for the settlement of Chagos Islanders in the UK.

Bill Rammell: Officials in the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health are considering, with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the situation of the destitute Chagossians in the UK. No final decisions on any measures can be taken until the judicial review proceedings are completed.

Iraq

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Government have had with the US Administration regarding foreign nationals entering Iraq to participate in terrorist activities; and what assessment his Department has made of the number of foreign terrorists in Iraq.

Jack Straw: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Rammell) today (UIN136351). I am withholding details of the Government's estimate of the number of foreign terrorists in Iraq under exemptions 1 and 2 of Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Iraq

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to prevent foreign terrorists coming into possession of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq; and what discussions the Government have had with international partners on this matter.

Jack Straw: Coalition forces regularly conduct anti-terrorist operations, and the UK and US Governments have urged Iraq's neighbours to tighten up border security and border controls to deny terrorists access to Iraq. Coalition forces and the Iraq Survey Group continue to search for and secure WMD-related sites and materials.

Iraq

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of external support from governments in countries surrounding Iraq for individuals and organisations carrying out terrorist activities in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: We have received a range of reports about possible support from individuals and organisations from within Iraq's neighbours for terrorist activity in Iraq. The Government have urged Iraq's neighbours to tighten up security and border controls to deny terrorists access to Iraq.

Iraq

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of the US Administration on possible foreign involvement in attacks in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary regularly discusses Iraq issues with US Secretary of State Colin Powell. The Government have urged Iraq's neighbours to tighten up security and border controls to deny terrorists access to Iraq.

Pakistan

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 5 November 2003, Official Report, column 663W, what assessment he has made of whether the steps taken by the Government of Pakistan support a conclusion that the Government of Pakistan are not a sponsor of terrorism.

Mike O'Brien: We welcome the steps which the Government of Pakistan have taken and is continuing to take against terrorist and extremist organisations. But we remain concerned that some such groups are still operating within and from Pakistan. We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to do more to prevent all forms of terrorist activity.

Paramilitary Groups

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Jeremy Corbyn) of 4 July 2003, Official Report, column 558W, what assessment he has made of the level of protection needed for trade unionists receiving death threats from paramilitary groups.

Bill Rammell: I regularly make clear our great concern about the extremely difficult situation faced by trades unionists in Colombia. Protection is given under the Colombian Ministry of Interior Protection Programme. We welcome the recently increased spending on this programme, and the reactivation of Inter-Institutional Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Workers' Human Rights. Deaths of trades union members have been significantly reduced this year. But there is much more to be done and the Colombian Government has acknowledged this. It supports and has played a large part in discussions on an EU funded project for the promotion and defence of the human rights of trades unionists. We will continue to emphasise the need for further protection of all vulnerable groups in Colombia.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of the Sudan on press freedom.

Chris Mullin: Human rights in Sudan remains one of our priorities. We monitor the situation closely. Our embassy in Khartoum regularly lobbies the Government of Sudan on human rights, including on press freedom.
	Most recently the embassy raised the suspension of the daily newspapers the Khartoum Monitor, Al-Wan and Al-Azminah. I am pleased to be able to say that all three of these newspapers have now resumed printing. We will continue to maintain pressure on the Government of Sudan to improve its human rights record and will continue to raise human rights violations at every opportunity both bilaterally and as part of the EU/Sudan dialogue.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Sudan on the (a) death penalty and (b) use of torture.

Chris Mullin: Human rights in Sudan remains one of our priorities. We monitor the situation closely. Our embassy in Khartoum regularly lobbies the Government of Sudan on human rights, and pays particular attention to cases involving the death penalty, corporal punishments and allegations of torture.
	The embassy continues to raise these issues both bilaterally and multilaterally as part of the recent EU Sudan dialogue. The last meeting of the EU Sudan dialogue was on 2 November 2003 which, among other issues, focused on press freedom and the application of hudud (amputations) punishments.

Sudan

Hilton Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the UK's role in the Sudan peace process.

Chris Mullin: We continue to offer the parties and mediators our full support in their efforts to reach a comprehensive peace agreement, which we hope will be signed early in the New Year. During the break in the formal talks, due to resume on 30 November, we are encouraging the parties to maintain contact. In that respect, the UK Special Representative visited southern Sudan last week and had a useful meeting with the leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM).
	We are supporting the peace process in other ways; by broadening our humanitarian assistance to include direct support for the peace process and for early rehabilitation and peace-building work; by providing funds and personnel to the Joint Monitoring Commission (JMC) in the Nuba Mountains and the Verification Monitoring Team in the south.
	We are discussing what support we can provide immediately following a peace agreement so that the Sudanese people can see early benefits of peace. Assisting Sudan in its progress towards peace continues to be a high priority.

Sudan

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken to help bring about a lasting peace in Sudan.

Chris Mullin: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Lancaster and Wyre (Mr. Dawson) today (UIN136162).

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the release of political prisoners in Khartoum and Dafur, Sudan.

Chris Mullin: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 23 October 2003, Official Report, column 713W.
	In Darfur, the release of prisoners affiliated to the Sudanese Liberation Movement was an encouraging sign in accordance with the Abeche cease-fire agreement. We continue to urge both parties to respect the cease-fire and support the political dialogue currently taking place in Abeche.